Indeed, international modern architecture owes much to the Japanese example. From the early shinden zukuri through the later shoin zukuri styles, Japanese architecture has incorporated functional simple ity in its design, the complete opposite from such Western architectural concepts as the facade. Moreover, Japanese architecture was the first to make use of modules, a practice now common in all contemporary building. One still sees both principles in the modern Japanese room.
All supports are visible and all units are modular.
Shoji are traditionally outside doors but are now also used between rooms, glass having taken the place of paper in the outside doors, another reminder that the old can always be modified. Even doors, windows and closets are measured in terms of the size of tatami, so the carpenter and the tatami, shoji and fusuma makers are always working with identical dimensions. This allows for ease of construction, once the overall size of the house has been decided, and a uniformity of appearance pleasing to traditional Japan. Among the less wealthy it is, indeed, the main meal, things to eat with it being few. No matter the number of other dishes, however, rice always appears and is given undivided attention.