Every serious architect dreams of making a pilgrimage to Japan. First, there is the country’s incredible traditional architecture. Exemplifying the “wabi sabi” aesthetic, traditional Japanese buildings seem to blend effortlessly into their natural surroundings. Nowhere is this more evident than in Kyoto’s Katsura Rikyu villa, which many critics have called the finest wooden structure in the entire world. And then, during the so-called “Bubble Economy” of the 1980s, Japan lured architects from around the world to indulge in their wildest fantasies. Of course, it wasn’t just foreign architects who let their imaginations run wild. Local superstars like Ando Tadao contributed some truly memorable pieces to the Japanese skyline.