The role of traditional Japanese houses and gardens in Finnish architect Alvar Aalto's (1898- 1976) career is often mentioned but without an in-depth study. This article analyzes and compares Aalto's design for his own house and studio in Riihitie (1935-6) and his reading of Japan, particularly through Tetsuro Yoshida's 1935 Das Japanische Wohnhaus (The Japanese House).