Japanese Detail: Architecture

THE HALLMARK OF Japanese design and style is detailing: the delicate carvings on a raw support beam holding up a graceful roof; a wall toned to harmonize with its surroundings; the varied patterns of latticework used to express the moods of spaces it encloses; the shape, framing and placement of windows, doorways and gates; the selection of stones for a path, and a garden lantern placed just so. This concern for an appropriate simplicity respecting both materials and setting is explored by Sadao Hibi in an exquisite collection of color photographs, organized according to building elements and furniture, furnishings and decorations. Lending the slim survey some perspective is an introductory essay by Ayako Jindai that attempts to explain the current nostalgia for color and form in Japanese architecture. But the elegant photographs explain it best. ($16.95)