was a Japanese

Japanese people

The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...

 architect

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

.

Early career

In December 1928, whilst a student at Tokyo's Fine Arts College, Yoshimura began part-time work at Antonin Raymond

Antonin Raymond

Antonin Raymond, or , born: was a Czech architect, who lived and worked in the USA and Japan...

's office, becoming full time after he graduated in 1931. Amongst many works he did on-site supervision of the Akaboshi Cottage (1931) for Japanese golfer Shiro Akaboshi, a house for Kisuke Akaboshi (1932) and the Kawasaki House (1934).

In May 1940 he travelled to Antonin's home in New Hope, Pennsylvania, spending fourteen months living and working in the studio there. He oversaw the installation of a small tea house at the Japan Institute in New York City.

Later career

On his return to Tokyo in 1941 he set up his own practice. In 1953, because of his connections with Raymond, Yoshimura secured the project to design a traditional Japanese Tea House in the garden of the Museum of Modern Art

Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...

 in New York.

In 1955 he collaborated with Kunio Maekawa

Kunio Maekawa

was a Japanese architect.-Formative years:He entered First Tokyo Middle School in 1918, and then Tokyo Imperial University in 1925. After graduation in 1928, he travelled to France to apprentice with Le Corbusier. In 1930 he returned to Japan and worked with Antonin Raymond, and in 1935 established...

 and Junzo Sakakura

Junzo Sakakura

was a Japanese architect and former president of the Architectural Association of Japan.After graduating from university he worked in Le Corbusier's atelier in Paris. He rose to the position of studio chief during his seven year stay in the studio....

 to design the International House of Japan in Roppongi

Roppongi

is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...

, Tokyo. This cultural exchange complex is located within estates owned by samurai lords in the Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

. It is constructed in-situ thin-set reinforced concrete walls, pre-cast concrete columns and beams and Oya Stone

Oya stone

is a igneous rock, created from lava and ash. Ōya stone was famously used in the facing of Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. One reason this stone was used is because it has a warm texture and is easily carved, which allows much versatility...

.

Yoshimura's later works include the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

The Museum of Japanese Art on the crest of Mount Carmel is dedicated exclusively to the preservation and exhibition of Japanese art works, and is the only one of its kind in the Middle East. The Museum is a municipal foundation, set up in 1959, on the initiative of Felix Tikotin of The Netherlands,...

 (1959) in Haifa

Haifa

Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...

, Tokyo Imperial Palace (1968), Japan House

Japan Society (New York)

Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that aims to brings the people of Japan and the United States closer together through understanding, appreciation and cooperation...

 (with George G. Shimamoto of Kelly & Gruzen, 1969-71) in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, the East and West Wings of the Nara National Museum

Nara National Museum

The is one of the pre-eminent national art museums in Japan.-Introduction:The Nara National Museum is located in Nara, which was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. Katayama Tōkuma designed the original building, which is a representative Western-style building of the Meiji period and has been...

 (1972) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy (1977) in Tokyo.

With his colleagues, he won the Prize of the Architectural Institute of Japan

Architectural Institute of Japan

The Architectural Institute of Japan, or AIJ, is a Japanese professional body for architects, building engineers, and researchers in architecture....

for Specific Contribution for the International House of Japan.