A large white box is raised on stilts to create the upper floor of this house in Japan, sheltering a smaller ground floor and entrance from the heavy snowfalls that Hokkaido Prefecture experiences in winter (+ slideshow). More about Top-heavy house by Archi LAB designed to minimise snow buildup
Stripy metal panels wrap the exterior of this Japanese house apart from a section at the front, creating a visual effect that prompted architect Takeru Shoji to name the building after a cardigan (+ slideshow). More about Metal skin wraps the exterior of Niigata residence by Takeru Shoji Architects
Tokyo studio Naf Architect & Design designed this house in Niigata to fit around a narrow driveway, which doubles as a space for outdoor get-togethers during the neighbourhood's annual lantern festival (+ slideshow). More about Roadside House by Naf Architect & Design has a driveway that doubles as a party space
Six slabs of wafer-thin concrete form the floors and walls of this house by Kubota Architect Atelier, which cuts into the side of a mountain in Japan's Hyogo Prefecture (+ slideshow). More about Thin concrete planes define mountain home in Japan by Kubota Architect Atelier
This family house in Shiga, Japan, is made up of two structures – a simple two-storey block set on a patio, and a small timber pavilion that opens out to a landscaped garden (+ slideshow). More about Maibara House by Alts Design Office combines a windowless block and a small garden pavilion
Japanese studios Sandwich and Team Low-Energy used three truckloads of timber to create the sculptural facade of this Tokyo house that also boasts a two-storey-high library and an indoor swing (+ slideshow). More about Kyodo House features a sculptural wood facade and an indoor swing
Apollo Architects & Associates named this Tokyo house after Noah's Ark because it features a symmetrical floor plan and a pointed wooden roof. More about Ark-inspired house by Apollo Architects features a symmetrical layout
The roof of this house in Japan is tilted above a band of glazing, allowing light to permeate the interior while also making the structure look like a box with a lifted lid (+ slideshow). More about SYAP's House in Yokkaichi has a roof angled upwards like the lid of an open box
Behind a simple concrete exterior, this house by Japanese architect Tsubasa Iwahashi contains a complex arrangement of rooms connected by three different kinds of staircase (+ slideshow). More about Tsubasa Iwahashi completes Hyōgo house containing three types of staircase
An elevated terrace stretches along one side of this narrow house in Nara, Japan, providing the residents with glimpses into the neighbourhood (+ slideshow). More about House in Nara by Keiichi Sugiyama boasts a raised cedar terrace
Volcanic ash is mixed into the concrete shell of this angular house in central Tokyo, which was designed by Atelier Tekuto for a pair of chemists (+ slideshow). More about Atelier Tekuto completes crystalline concrete home for two chemists
A traditional Japanese construction method was used for this house in Tokyo, which features four wooden columns arranged in a square to support the rest of the timber frame (+ slideshow). More about FT Architects' 4 Columns house features a traditional timber frame and minimal interior
A bright orange wall screens a staircase that leads to a bathroom on top of this concrete house in Tokyo by Takuro Yamamoto Architects (+ slideshow). More about Concrete home by Takuro Yamamoto Architects overlooks an allotment and woods near Tokyo
A pair of large terraces channel through one side of this white house in Tokyo by Takuro Yamamoto Architects, providing residents with an outdoor yoga space and a sheltered parking area (+ slideshow). More about Little House Big Terrace by Takuro Yamamoto Architects features an elevated yoga terrace
This house in Osaka by Japanese studio Tato Architects features walls that step back and forth, worktops that merge with staircases, and windows that wrap around entire rooms (+ slideshow). More about Tato Architects' House in Toyonaka is divided into offset horizontal volumes
The zigzagging roof of this house near Mount Fuji was designed by architect Hiroki Tominaga to help snow slide off, and its profile is highlighted after dark by a glowing facade (+ slideshow). More about Angular roof helps Mount Fuji house by Hiroki Tominaga Atelier shed snow
Surrounded by farmland in rural Japan, this house by architecture studio Tailored Design Lab features a steeply pointed roof that frames views of the landscape, and an oversized chimney that provides natural ventilation (+ slideshow). More about Family house in Japan designed by Tailored Design Lab to embrace its farmland setting
Long horizontal windows step around the matt black facade of this family home in Osaka by Alphaville Architects to frame different views of the nearby Yodo River (+ slideshow). More about Windows spiral towards the roof of Osaka house by Alphaville Architects
A deep slice through the body of this house by Japanese studio Alphaville reveals a trio of staircases that angle up between different rooms (+ slideshow). More about Alphaville's Slice of the City is a house cut into two uneven sections
The concrete walls of this Tokyo house were designed by architect Hugo Kohno to step in and out, giving the building extra structural support while creating built-in shelves and seating (+ slideshow). More about Cranks house by Hugo Kohno features concrete walls that step in and out