Abstract
During the 1930s, the American geographer Robert B. Hall and the German architect Bruno Taut made studies on Japanese rural architecture. This article examines the differences and similarities of these studies through a comparison of four particular points: (I) context and intentions, (II) approach to the study of rural architecture, (III) the study of habitation units, and (IV) characteristics found common to all Japanese rural architecture. The comparison showed that while Hall and Taut have the same understanding of the general characteristics of Japanese rural architecture, their disciplinary approach and different understanding of man's adaptation to the natural environment resulted in dissimilar explanations of the rural houses.
