Kameki Tsuchiura 1897 - 1996
Nobu Tsuchiura 1900 - 1998
While still a student, Kameki Tsuchiura began working with Wright on the
Imperial Hotel in 1921, via an introduction by Arata Endo. When Wright left Japan the following year,
Kameki and his new bride Nobu soon followed. They stayed with Wright for two years, both in Los Angeles
and at Taliesin, completing drawings for a number of projects. They also befriended fellow architects
R.M. Schindler, Werner Moser and Richard Neutra.
After returning to Japan in 1926, Kameki continued to design in the Wright style, but because he wanted
to improve Japanese housing, gradually embraced the International style for its functional, rational
and economic aspects. Taking a cue from Wright's textile block houses in Los Angeles, Kameki pursued
standardization and efficiency, replacing the blocks with drywall panels hung onto wooden frames.
