In Brutalist Japan, photographer and writer Paul Tulett takes readers on a striking visual and written journey through more than 100 Brutalist buildings across the country—spanning from postwar civic landmarks to humble hair salons. With over 220 original photographs and 27,000 words of often witty, sometimes provocative insight, the book captures Japan’s concrete legacy in all its raw beauty and cultural complexity. Published by Penguin Random House’s Prestel, Brutalist Japan is the only book devoted exclusively to the nation’s Brutalist architecture, offering both documentation and a call to reflect on preservation, memory, and place.
Paul Tulett is a British architectural photographer based in Okinawa. With an academic background in Urban Planning and Environment, his work combines compelling visuals with critical commentary. He is best known for his Instagram project @brutal_zen, followed by 139,000 architecture enthusiasts worldwide. His photography has been exhibited and published internationally, earning recognition for transforming under-appreciated and misunderstood buildings into subjects of compelling discourse.
At the FCCJ, Paul will explore the cultural and emotional layers beneath Japan’s Brutalist structures—why the style took root here, how it reflects postwar ideals, and what these buildings reveal about Japan’s evolving relationship with modernity and identity. He will also discuss the challenges of photographing architecture often hidden in plain sight and at risk of demolition.
Through images and personal encounters, Paul will show how Brutalist Japan became both an archive and a tribute—and how learning to appreciate this divisive style can open our eyes to the value in the things we think we hate.
This will be an evening to engage both the eyes and the mind.
Doors open at 5:45 pm with a casual “meet the author/cocktail time” from 6:00 pm. Dinner will be served from 6:30 pm and the talk begins at 7:15 pm.
The menu is Beef Pastrami and Pumpkin Salad, Sautéed Flounder with Tomato Balsamic Sauce, Bread, Today's Dessert, Coffee or Tea, and One beverage of choice (orange juice, oolong tea, red or white wine, beer). A vegetarian option is available. Please inform the club of food restrictions when reserving (front@fccj.or.jp). Price: 3,000 yen for members, 4,000 yen for non-members.
Online attendance (Zoom) is available by reservation at 550 yen per person.
The member reservation deadline is 2 pm, October 2, non-members must reserve and pay by Monday, September 29, 2025. No cancellations after Monday, September 29.
(The talk will be in English)
Library, Archives & Workroom Committee