CATEGORY

Simplicity isn't just a matter of taste in Japan—it's a part of the culture. But within that aesthetic there's a lot of room for diversity. This photographic sampling of some of Tokyo's most exciting and beautiful apartments displays that diversity in surprising and innovative ways.

The clutter-free rooms are filled with warm, muted colors and natural objects; they make use of such traditional materials as rice paper, tatami, wood, ceramics and stone. Yet in every corner is a wonderful surprise: a whimsical chair, a rock garden set into the floor, an Art Deco flourish in the bathroom, a rustic bamboo ladder propped on one wall. Gleaming high-tech lives in congenial harmony with old and traditional, and gentle hues are punctuated by bright spots of color. Photographed in full color and from vantage points that accentuate the seamless transitions between them, these dwellings exude a nourishing calm that belies the city's frenetic energy. Floor plans and text round out this visual tour of 50 apartments that shows how ingenuity and imagination can transform four walls into an oasis of serenity and elegance.