- Japan has always intrigued the world with its deceptively simple blending of architecture, landscape and design. Zen temples, the famous tea ceremony, formal gardens, the use of wood, paper and other materials in the form of screens and floors all have evolved over the years to create a varied, yet indisputably unique style. Of the 40 homes profiled in this book, each home represents in its own way the changing face of Japanese interior design and architecture.