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Unno Lab
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A lab that studies the history of Japanese architecture and the conservation of cultural heritage, with a focus on timber architecture.
AboutAbout the lab
Tracing the history of Japanese architecture through physical remains
The Unno Lab studies the history of Japanese architecture based on surviving buildings, documentary sources, and excavated remains.
The focus is timber architecture from the prehistoric period to the modern era, and the scope also includes East Asia, which shares the same wooden-building culture.
Through measured surveys of old buildings and assessments of their value, the lab also works to preserve them as cultural heritage for future generations and to put them to use.
Students are not bound by the professor's own field, and pursue research on themes that match their individual interests.
Key terms
- Excavated remains
- Traces of old buildings found by digging into the ground, such as postholes and foundation stones
- Measured survey
- A survey that measures the dimensions of an actual building and records its construction and traces of alteration
- Cultural heritage
- Buildings, artworks, and other objects of high historical or artistic value that should be protected and passed on to the next generation
NewsLab news
Lab seminar open to prospective students held (in person and online)
Lab information session for prospective students held (in person and online)
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies the architecture of Japan and East Asia across a broad range of periods, from the prehistoric era to the modern era, with a focus on timber architecture. By closely examining buildings, documents, paintings, and other sources, it reads not only the architecture itself but also the design thinking and the society behind it.
*Illustrative imageTransmission of Architectural Technology from East Asia
Using excavated remains, surviving buildings, documents, paintings, and carvings in cave temples as clues, the lab comprehensively studies how architectural technology was transmitted in ancient East Asia.
*Illustrative imageTransmission of Technology from the Ancient Capital to the Provinces
In ancient times, government offices and provincial temples (kokubunji) were also built in the provinces, and technology is thought to have spread from the center in the process. The lab studies provincial architecture of the Nara period, which no longer survives, through documents and excavated remains.
*Illustrative imageHistory of Building Maintenance
Historic buildings such as the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji and the East Pagoda of Yakushi-ji have been handed down through repeated repairs since before the early modern period. The lab studies the life cycle of buildings through the history of premodern repairs.
*Illustrative imageBuilding Reconstruction and Revival (Fukugen Studies)
The lab treats as scholarly subjects "revival" (fukko), the re-creation of past architecture; "reconstruction" (fukugen, 復元), based on information from excavations; and "restoration" (fukugen, 復原), based on traces discovered during repairs. Its aim is to build a comprehensive academic field out of them.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Unno Lab consist of faculty and students in the doctoral program, master's program, and undergraduate program.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorUnno SatoshiPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
Compiled from answers by students who were in the lab. Ratings and reviews reflect individual students' experiences, not the lab's official views.
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Horyu-ji Kondo and Five-story Pagoda 2022” ONO Masanobu / CC0 (cropped)
- Transmission of Architectural Technology from East Asia: “Foguang Temple 2011-07” 猫猫的日记本 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Transmission of Technology from the Ancient Capital to the Provinces: “Harima Kokubunji-ato tou-2” Saigen Jiro / CC0 (cropped)
- History of Building Maintenance: “Nara Yakushi-ji Toto Exterior 05” Zairon / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Building Reconstruction and Revival (Fukugen Studies): “Front view of Daigokuden” Tamago Moffle / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (SEKISUI HOUSE - KUMA LAB (International Architectural Education Platform) / IAEP (Sen Kuan Lab)): “Faculty of Engineering Bldg.1 Tokyo University 2010” Wiiii / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Okabe Lab): “Kawasaki Nihon Minkaen-3” Fg2 / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Kawazoe Lab): “Taketa townscape ac (4)” Asturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Yasuhara Lab): “Marquise do Ibirapuera 01” Dornicke / Public domain (cropped)
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