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This thesis examines the concepts of history and tradition in modern Japan, with an emphasis on the writings of Sei'ichi Shirai (1905--1983). Although Shirai has been considered as one of the most important architects of 20th century Japan, he has also been treated as an obscure figure, no doubt partly because of the enigmatic quality of his writings. A major element that contributed to his obscure status and set him apart from his contemporaries was his understanding of history and tradition. / The introductory essay examines the concept of tradition prevalent around Shirai's time: how it was constructed by an a posteriori writing of history and in what ways this is complicated by Shirai's writings. The second portion of the thesis is an annotated translation of two of Shirai's texts demonstrating his attempts to disclose the a priori principles inherent in the unfolding of tradition through history.

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This thesis analyzes the problems and contradictions inherent in modernity's levelling of the fabricative and political realms. Seeking a broader perspective on the origins of aesthetic culture and aestheticized politics, it examines the relation of architecture to technology, culture, and politics. The thesis examines the consequences of the Enlightenment and "Radical Enlightenment" (understanding the rise of the modern nation-state as a direct consequence of the 18th century's yoking of history and nature) from the perspective of Japan and its encounter with modernity. Japan as a modern nation-state, neither part of the European Enlightenment nor colonized by its instruments, was able to initiate a unique discourse around the question of history and the concomitant issues of identity and nihilism. / The thesis tracks the discourse through architecture as the terms shift and become more and more indistinguishable from the Western manifestations from which the Japanese architects wished to claim distinction. / The discussion on difference and possibility---cultural identity and the creative project---as fundamental questions for a contemporary practice of architecture is undertaken through an analysis of the polar positions of Tange Kenzo and Shirai Sei'ichi.