All too often in this country, modern buildings of architectural and historical value are bulldozed to make way for new commercial development. The "lucky" ones may be granted a stay of execution, if only to survive as unused and lifeless monuments.
Neither of these fates, happily, has befallen a building in Tokyo's Toshima Ward designed in 1921 by Frank Lloyd Wright. Instead, Myonichikan -- originally a private school called Jiyu Gakuen -- has recently made a rejuvenated appearance as one of Japan's designated "important cultural properties."
Myonichikan is one of only a few schools designed by Wright (1867-1959), who was perhaps the most creative genius of 20th-century American architecture and is best known today for his 1943 Guggenheim Museum in New York. Along with Yodoko Guest House in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, the school is also the only other example of his work in this country to completely retain its original appearance.