 He was among the first architectural historians inside or outside Japan to focus on Meiji and Taisho-period architects and architecture, and argue for continuities between this and the later post-war period when Japanese 'modern' architecture became globally influential.Suzuki was a strong proponent of preserving "modern", and not just "traditional" Japanese architecture, and did not shy from wading into development controversies.As chairman of the Japanese branch of the Paris-based conservation group Docomomo International, he oversaw drafting of a list of 135 "modern" Japanese structures worthy of protection.