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How did Japanese aesthetics influence Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropius?

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The main building (kondo) at Horyu-ji Temple in Ikaruga, Nara, Japan, features multi-tiered, tiled roofs and wooden architectural details on a stone base. — Japanese architecture Main building at Hōryū Temple, Ikaruga, Nara prefecture, Japan.

Japanese aesthetics significantly influenced the architectural philosophies of both Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropius, though their engagements with the tradition differed in focus and application.1

Frank Lloyd Wright

Wright’s work in the West frequently revealed his deep indebtedness to his perceptions of the Japanese aesthetic. His design for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo (1915–22) served as a primary manifestation of this influence, featuring a constellation of small, perfectly formed spaces and unexpected terraces that moved beyond his typical style. Wright utilized revolutionary, floating cantilever construction, which allowed the building to survive the 1923 earthquake, and he employed cubic forms to create a rich, disciplined composition where almost every room appeared unique.123

Walter Gropius

While the Bauhaus movement, led by Gropius, stirred general interest in Japan, Gropius himself was profoundly impressed by classical Japanese architecture. He was particularly influenced by the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyōto, finding inspiration in its structural clarity and integration of space.1