Prominent among modern Japanese architects, Kunio Maekawa (1905-1986) served an apprenticeship in France during the 1930s. Well-known for his use of architectural concrete, his post-World War II contributions included designs for prefa bricated structures and high-rise apartments.

Kunio Maekawa was born in May 14, 1905, in Niigata on Northwest Honshu Island. The eldest of three children, he was well bred; the families of both of his parents were descended from the Samurai. His father, Kan'ichi Maekawa, was descended from the Ii clan of Omi. A civil engineer by profession, Kan'ichi worked in the Japanese Home Ministry, eventually becoming a high-ranking official, called chokuninkan, (imperial appointee). His mother, of the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki, was a daughter of Konroku Tanaka. The family lived in a wooden house in the snow country of Niigata before moving to Tokyo's Hongo district.

Student Years

Maekawa attended elite schools and completed Tokyo First Middle School...