kk Letter - Tokyo, Shibukawa, and Toga Village

kk Letter
Tokyo, Shibukawa, and Toga Village
Japan

A traditional Ground Breaking Ceremony with Arata Isozaki and a performance by the Tadashi Suzuki Theater Company.

Went to Tokyo to meet with Arata Isozaki about the design and construction of a pavilion for the Louisiana Museum in Denmark. The pavilion, together with a pavilion designed by Miralles/Tagliabue of Barcelona, will be placed permanently by the lake to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Louisiana Museum in 2008.

Photo: Jens Lindhe

Arata Isozaki kindly invited me to attend a tradidtional Japanese Jichinsai Ground Breaking Ceremony for the addition to the Hara Museum ARC in Shibukawa.

Photo: arcspace

The Jichinsai Ceremony is a Shinto ritual intended to calm the kami (god) of the earth whenever a new building or other construction begins. It was/is believed that without going through the protocol of requesting permission from the earth kami, any building constructed would anger the kami and lead to it's destruction. Another purpose is to pray that the actual construction proceeds without any "incidents.”

Photo: arcspace
Mr. Hara with the Sythe.

Photo: arcspace
Arata Isozaki with the Pick.

Photo: arcspace
Returning the Pick.

Photo: arcspace
The sharing of Saki with the God.

Isozaki designed the Hara Museum ARC, a small branch of Tokyo's Hara Museum, located in the countryside. It is entirely a timber construction, with black-stained wood siding.
The galleries are organized around an open entrance loggia which also serves as the stage of an amphitheater. The Hara Museum ARC was completed in 1988.

Photo: arcspace

The addition, also designed by Isozaki, will house Mr. Hara’s collection of Japanese Antiquities and will double the size of the museum.
arcspace will feature the Hara Museum ARC in the near future.

Photo: arcspace

The following day I visited the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the most famous contemporary art museum in Tokyo. Established in 1979 the original building was designed by Jin Watanabe.

Photo: arcspace

The Hara Museum has a huge impressive art collection of internationally important artists from 1950 and onwards.
arcspace will also feature the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in the near future.

Photo: arcspace

Isozaki designed the adjoining resturant and there is a beautiful Tea House, designed by Isozaki, in the Japanese Garden behind the museum.

Photo: arcspace

Over the weekend we went to Toga Village in the mountains, Toyama prefecture, to see Tadashi Suzuki’s play “Greetings from the Edge of the Earth” that ended the International Festival. This is where Tadashi Suzuki teaches his methods.

Photo: arcspace

Toga Arts Park consists of several old restored farmhouses and new buildings designed by Arata Isozaki in collaboration with Suzuki.
Two original farmhoses serve as offices and rest areas for the Japan Performing Arts Foundation.
arcspace will feature the Toga Arts Park in the near future.

Photo: arcspace

Drawing courtesy Arata Isozaki & Associates

A new building by Isozaki, placed at a 45 degree angle to an old restored farmhouse, becomes the entrance Hall to the theater. The Hall can also serve as a lecture space using the steps as seating and the landing, enclosed by four posts, as the stage.

Photo: arcspace

A new theater constructed in the traditional farmhouse style was recenly completed. Here Isozaki followed fundamentally the same policy as in the old farmhouse.

Photo: arcspace

The Library/Studio building, with it’s soaring central space, was also designed by Isozaki.

Photo: arcspace

arcspace will have a major feature of the Toga Arts Park coming up.

We were not allowed to take photos during the performances which I fully understand after having been to the events. No photo or video would be able to convey the experience, a major in my life, of the site, the performance, the sound (music and voices) the fireworks...and 800 people in the outdoor Greek style theater in the middle of the mountains.
After the performance Tadashi Suzuki, Arata Isozaki and the Mayor broke the Saki barrels and invited the entire audience to the stage for Saki.

Photo: arcspace

Click on quicktime video to watch the breaking of the Saki barrels.

In between the events I had time to visit Jun Aoki at his Tokyo office and plan for several arcspace features.

Photo: arcspace

.... and Tadao Ando’s recently opened 21_21 Design Site where most of the volume of the building, which has a unique form featuring a roof made from giant steel plates that slope gently down to the ground, is buried underground.
arcspace will feature the 21_21 Design Site in the near future.

Photo: arcspace

photo: arcspace

Photo: arcspace

....Mario Botta’s Watari Museum of Contemporary Art (1990) with installations by Barry McGee.

Photo: arcspace

...The highest observatory in Japan on the 69th floor of the Landmark Tower in Yokohama. It took 40 seconds for the egg-shaped elevator to reach the 69th floor.

Photo: arcspace

photo: arcspace

...And, while there, another visit to Foreign Office Architect’s Yokohama International Port Terminal

...And the Le Corbusier: Art and Architecture exhibition at the Mori Art Museum.

Finally I ran into a group of Sumo wrestlers at Tokyo Station, coming back from summer camp, and also found time for a Kabuki performance in the old Kabuki theater in the Ginza area.

Photo: arcspace

Stayed at my favorite hotel:
Park Hotel Tokyo

Don’t miss:

Rafael Viñoly Architects
Tokyo International Forum
Tokyo, Japan

Kengo Kuma & Associates
Suntory Museum of Art
Tokyo, Japan

Kisho Kurokawa
The National Art Center
Tokyo, Japan

Kisho Kurokawa
Nakagin Capsule Tower
Tokyo, Japan

Yoshio Taniguchi and Associates
The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures
Tokyo National Museum
Tokyo, Japan

And then there is, of course, Shopping in Tokyo....
Shopping in Tokyo 1
Shopping in Tokyo 2

September 4, 2007





				Features
		kk Letter Tokyo, Shibukawa, and Toga Village Japan A traditional Ground Breaking Ceremony with Arata Isozaki and a performance by the Tadashi Suzuki Theater Company. Went to Tokyo to meet with Arata Isozaki about the design and construction of a pavilion for the Louisiana Museum in Denmark. The pavilion, together with a pavilion designed by Miralles/Tagliabue of Barcelona, will be placed permanently by the lake to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Louisiana Museum in 2008. Photo: Jens Lindhe Arata Isozaki kindly invited me to attend a tradidtional Japanese Jichinsai Ground Breaking Ceremony for the addition to the Hara Museum ARC in Shibukawa. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace The Jichinsai Ceremony is a Shinto ritual intended to calm the kami (god) of the earth whenever a new building or other construction begins. It was/is believed that without going through the protocol of requesting permission from the earth kami, any building constructed would anger the kami and lead to it's destruction. Another purpose is to pray that the actual construction proceeds without any "incidents.” Photo: arcspace Mr. Hara with the Sythe. Photo: arcspace Arata Isozaki with the Pick. Photo: arcspace Returning the Pick. Photo: arcspace The sharing of Saki with the God. Isozaki designed the Hara Museum ARC, a small branch of Tokyo's Hara Museum, located in the countryside. It is entirely a timber construction, with black-stained wood siding. The galleries are organized around an open entrance loggia which also serves as the stage of an amphitheater. The Hara Museum ARC was completed in 1988. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace The addition, also designed by Isozaki, will house Mr. Hara’s collection of Japanese Antiquities and will double the size of the museum. arcspace will feature the Hara Museum ARC in the near future. Photo: arcspace The following day I visited the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the most famous contemporary art museum in Tokyo. Established in 1979 the original building was designed by Jin Watanabe. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace The Hara Museum has a huge impressive art collection of internationally important artists from 1950 and onwards. arcspace will also feature the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in the near future. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Isozaki designed the adjoining resturant and there is a beautiful Tea House, designed by Isozaki, in the Japanese Garden behind the museum. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Over the weekend we went to Toga Village in the mountains, Toyama prefecture, to see Tadashi Suzuki’s play “Greetings from the Edge of the Earth” that ended the International Festival. This is where Tadashi Suzuki teaches his methods. Photo: arcspace Toga Arts Park consists of several old restored farmhouses and new buildings designed by Arata Isozaki in collaboration with Suzuki. Two original farmhoses serve as offices and rest areas for the Japan Performing Arts Foundation. arcspace will feature the Toga Arts Park in the near future. Photo: arcspace Drawing courtesy Arata Isozaki & Associates A new building by Isozaki, placed at a 45 degree angle to an old restored farmhouse, becomes the entrance Hall to the theater. The Hall can also serve as a lecture space using the steps as seating and the landing, enclosed by four posts, as the stage. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace A new theater constructed in the traditional farmhouse style was recenly completed. Here Isozaki followed fundamentally the same policy as in the old farmhouse. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace The Library/Studio building, with it’s soaring central space, was also designed by Isozaki. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace arcspace will have a major feature of the Toga Arts Park coming up. We were not allowed to take photos during the performances which I fully understand after having been to the events. No photo or video would be able to convey the experience, a major in my life, of the site, the performance, the sound (music and voices) the fireworks...and 800 people in the outdoor Greek style theater in the middle of the mountains. After the performance Tadashi Suzuki, Arata Isozaki and the Mayor broke the Saki barrels and invited the entire audience to the stage for Saki. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Click on quicktime video to watch the breaking of the Saki barrels. In between the events I had time to visit Jun Aoki at his Tokyo office and plan for several arcspace features. Photo: arcspace .... and Tadao Ando’s recently opened 21_21 Design Site where most of the volume of the building, which has a unique form featuring a roof made from giant steel plates that slope gently down to the ground, is buried underground. arcspace will feature the 21_21 Design Site in the near future. Photo: arcspace photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace ....Mario Botta’s Watari Museum of Contemporary Art (1990) with installations by Barry McGee. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace ...The highest observatory in Japan on the 69th floor of the Landmark Tower in Yokohama. It took 40 seconds for the egg-shaped elevator to reach the 69th floor. Photo: arcspace photo: arcspace ...And, while there, another visit to Foreign Office Architect’s Yokohama International Port Terminal ...And the Le Corbusier: Art and Architecture exhibition at the Mori Art Museum. Finally I ran into a group of Sumo wrestlers at Tokyo Station, coming back from summer camp, and also found time for a Kabuki performance in the old Kabuki theater in the Ginza area. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Stayed at my favorite hotel: Park Hotel Tokyo Don’t miss: Rafael Viñoly Architects Tokyo International Forum Tokyo, Japan Kengo Kuma & Associates Suntory Museum of Art Tokyo, Japan Kisho Kurokawa The National Art Center Tokyo, Japan Kisho Kurokawa Nakagin Capsule Tower Tokyo, Japan Yoshio Taniguchi and Associates The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures Tokyo National Museum Tokyo, Japan And then there is, of course, Shopping in Tokyo.... Shopping in Tokyo 1 Shopping in Tokyo 2 September 4, 2007