Born in Kyoto in 1905, Seiichi Shirai graduated from Kyoto Craft High School (now Kyoto Institute of Technology) and then moved to Germany to study Gothic architecture, while also studying early-modern German philosophy at Heidelberg University and the University of Berlin.
When Shirai returned to Japan in 1933 after finishing about six years of study in Germany, rather than choosing the path of philosophy or art, he set off on the path of architecture, starting with the design of the Kawamura Residence (formerly the Koichiro Kondo Residence) and “Kankiso.” Leaving behind many works culminating in his posthumous “Unbankyo,” Shirai was awarded with a Kotaro Takamura Prize (Molding Category), an Architectural Yearbook Prize, an Architectural Institute of Japan Prize, a Mainichi Arts Prize, and a Japan Art Academy Prize. These achievements were covered in not just architectural journals, but general newspapers and magazines as well.
Although renowned as an architect, Shirai also designed the bindings of many books, including ones he wrote himself. As a notable example, he was on friendly terms with Yusaku Shimanaka, president of the publishing company Chuokoron-sha, and designed bindings for its Chuko Shinsho and Chuko Bunko labels that reveal a drawing of a bird when the cover is removed.
He was also known as a calligrapher. Under the pen name “Kongen Koshi,” he was featured in several solo exhibitions in Tokyo and elsewhere, and left behind a collection of calligraphy in book form.