I like yoghurt. Eating it in Tokyo or Beijing is quite a different experience:
In tokyo one enters the omnipresent “conbini” open everyday, everyhour.
Then wonders inside in a storm of colour and lights. Goes to the “no-door” fridge and takes what he prefers.
At the counter the yoghurt ( one cup) will be placed in a plastic bag with the plastic spoon inside another plastic bag.
One can go out now but where to eat it? apparently beside construction workers nobody seems to eat in the streets so it is up to you to find a place hidden enough to eat your yoghurt. After eating one may want to go back to the conbini that is probably still the closest place where to find a trash bin.
Beijing: the shops, unless you are in the western like center might look like that.
The yoghurt is sold in a thick ceramic cup. With a grey green colour. A foil seals the top. There is one type, no choice. After buying one has to drink it with a strow . He cannot leave the area around the shop because the cup will be recicled.
While waiting at the counter of Mitsubishi bank two images of Japan became extremely clear:
there is a Japan that uses subtraction as a main technique of composition. It erases, cancels, reduces, makes dense. That acts in one movement. That cuts with one hit. Think about traditional arts.
Then there a Japan that uses addition: addition of Alphabets (kanji+romaji+hiragana+katakana), of information ( as in any busy metro station), of functions. That takes decision after endless meeting, that overlaps streets…
Without any doubt the work is visually appealing, joins a certain tendency that takes alook to daily “low culture” objects. Nothing that new.
What worries me is another aspect:
-isn’t it dangerous to look at architecture in such a visual way (read the article) ?
-after looking at a nice pattern do we still realize that that black square is a little window from which a not so well paid worker looks out?
-does this visual binge hide the fact that this building do mostly nothing to increase one’s living dignity?
This year golden week was only 4 days. No complain, no “bridges” between vacation days, we are good japanese workers.
Getting out from tokyo i went to japanese countryside. With bullet train:
“Leonard Zelig (played by Woody Allen), is a man who has the ability to change his appearance to that of the people who surround him. For example, if he is among doctors, he transforms into a doctor; if he is around overweight people, he quickly becomes heavy himself. Zelig is called the “human chameleon“.
(wikipedia)
The uniqueness of Mr. Zelig lays in observing,understanding and imitating the surrounding.
Contextual, respectful and smart, Zelig has a lot to teach to today Star Architects who think they are able to design without knowing context.
The picture of today’s lunch brings up one of the few weakness of japanese cuisine: the food choice during hot weather.
Despite what japanese friends tell me that there are many japanese summer recipe, I am still skeptical about it.
The easier to eat are zaru soba, cold soba. Maybe one can switch to sushi or sashimi but not much more. In fact many people still eat more or less the same food they eat in winter time.
The problem starts from the fact that japanese eat fruits and vegetables in small amounts. If one orders a tomato in an izakaya will get one ( or half) tomato nicely sliced. From this way of eating it is difficult and expensive to imagine a person in the summer eating a big bowl of salad with 3 tomatoes, salad, mushrooms and other things…
At universities and studios we are told for who to design, to concern about the target, the production methods, the budget, the time line, the cultural back ground (sometimes) and so on…
I have yet not heard any interesting answer about why to design?
I do not mean the usual banal answer “to satisfy contemporary needs” which always forgets to understand that we create our own (tertiary needs) according to nature our needs are pretty simple.
Then if we look many designers/architects are concern with quantity. ( they want to build and to produce, does not matter that much for who, where and when)
Others are concern with fame: anything that makes them popular is good, it does not matter what as far as the project rises interest. ( design fairs are the peak of this approach).
Others are concerned with ego: especially architects have the small god desire. In this approach what matters is the development of a personal language and theory.
What we should be concerned about, improvement based on human standards and quality, is not really popular amongst designers. Because it does not sell.
Because to be publish one needs something catchy, possibly that involves a superficial influence from another discipline ( maths, philosophy, music…).
One last question remains. I read once an observation of Wittgenstein which stated: “one needs to be a good man in order to be a good philosopher”.
I wonder if we believed that in order to be a good architect one needs to be a good man,
how many (star)architects would remain above a level of decency?
Tokyo is famous for its fashion. I think one important reason is the true city nature of Tokyo.
The city is often defined as the place where we meet strangers. In this sense Tokyo is a perfect example. It is pervaded by collective solitudes that allow individual freedom.
Between the many Tokyo areas, Harajuku is the fashion spot.
On saturday afternoon it gets crowded of Gothic Lolitas, Visual Kei, Cosplay
I am often asked why I came to Japan. Many reasons that could be summarized in the different kangaekata, way of thinking of japanese people. For example look at this article about the new iPhone which is quite a success everywhere in the world but still not in tha japanese market.
I suppose everyone heard at least once shamisen a traditional japanese instrument.
The sounds makes foreigner immediately think about zen, japan, temple, silence, sushi, asia, meditation and other cliche.
If you want a different feeling check the Yoshida Brothers
Forget architecture, design, japan and all those things…
Finally an important post that hopefully will answer the real question of life:
the walt disney family.
Sto leggendo questo libro (su consiglio di F, comprato da M, portatomi da C-per motivi di provacy niente nomi) dell’architetto Buzzi. Parla di cucina, di ricette ma Buzzi è dotato, come pochi, di uno sguardo diagonale, realmente curioso (come un progettista dovrebbe avere) . Cucina alta, bassa, casalinga, raffinata, storica, immaginaria. L’arte culinaria ci viene raccontata anche con tutta l’umanità che ci sta dietro, intorno, dentro (come nel caso della zuppa all’unghia). Ha il coraggio di descrivere con passione anche certe voglie di cibo scotto e malfatto (spaghetti stracotti al ragù), usi che vanno contro l’abitudine (l’insalata all’acqua), aneddoti storici (Carneplastico)…
Japan is probably the country with the most interesting pop-culture. Many things that start from the street become topic of academic studies, books, movie… Here you can find an academic paper about otaku,
Also about the same topic is the company founded by Takashi Murakami: Kaikai Kiki
Murakami a few years ago organized an exhibition titled Superflat:
“Superflat is a concept being proposed by artist Takashi Murakami, whose paintings deal with two dimensional spatiality rendered somewhere between traditional Japanese painting and modern anime. The phrase, though coined by Murakami for his art, has recently drawn attention from young scholars due to its connotations: ‘devoid of perspective and devoid of hierarchy, all existing equally and simultaneously.’ BT Monthly Art Magazine, Japan, Issue 5, May 2000″
An article from last year Herald Tribute about the new plan of Shimokitazawa which will make one of the most unique area of Tokyo look just like all the others.Nowadays, people like big streets, big shopping malls with many lights. Everything is visible, everything is known. So let’s erase a spontaneous place, the only place where everyday, every night there are people singing in the streets. I think one can easily feel that this happens because it is a free place, not a real estate developer project.
Not many seem to think this way. At least not those who have power, those who show a dazzling ignorance: so let’s all go to Roppongi!
Last night i went to see Le Corbusier exhibition at Mori Museum.
Few remarks:
-Mori museum is open till 22.00, it was full. Enjoying the visit on the 53 floor at night after working is excellent.
-the full scale mockup of one flat from the Unite d’Habitacion was really interesting to visit
-exhibition design in japan seem to have a different role: so far the exhibition I have seen do not try to elaborate the material exhibited. For example Corbu exhibition design is done by Mori museum. The result consists in simply dividing the works in main groups, placing into the space and putting some spotlight on it. Nostalgic feeling for Castiglioni, Albini, Rota… Probably the rationalist western mind suits better to this type of activities.
-the exhibition consists in many paintings, some models, 1:1 scale of the petit cabanon(very long line queuing ), 1:1 of unite d’habitation flat, 1:1 of atelier (not so meaningful i would say), some models, pictures. For a general public is good. Maybe a bit more effort on the museology part would have been appreciated
-museum are always “ippai” (full)
-Roppongi Hills complex is really a non-place, if I was asked i would definitely say that it is the architecture of the letzte Mensch: pre-recorded voices, nobody around, impossible to get orientation, false smiles, tepidness, the air is not cold, is not warm, simply is not. There is no utopia, there is no cultural plan, there is no desire, there is nothing beside consumption. A boutique-prison for dreamless wealthy people. But please enjoy it.
-to be an architect you must be optimistic and believe in progress
Untill my poor japanese will reach a decent level (probably not so soon) I am often visiting some big bookshop which have a decent selection of books in english. While wondering in Aoyama Book Center I found the Penguin’s Great Ideas series.
Beautiful covers, small size, cheap (not so much in japan) and with great classic titles.
Of course I bought one ( the title is top secret not to make my parents worry).
I recently watched “Grizzly Man” one of the last movies of Werner Herzog.
Interesting for many reasons that each of us should find on himself. Just watch it.
A volte mi è capitato di leggere che se fosse esistita una Repubblica del Design Achille Castiglione ne sarebbe stato il presidente. Oggi, forse anche spinti dall’inettitudine della nostra classe politica, viene voglia di immaginarla questa Repubblica.
Ecco i risultati:
Repubblica del Design.
Presidente: Achille Castiglioni
Ministro della Funzione Estetica: Enzo Mari
Ministro dell’Eleganza: Vico Magistretti
Ministro del Retropensiero: Alessandro Mendini
Ministro dell’Utopia Futuribile: Joe Colombo
Ministro della Materia: Angelo Mangiarotti
Ministro della Pigrizia Attiva: Ettore Sottsass
e come al solito rimane l’eccezione di Munari.
these are other books I am currently reading an find interesting:
Pet Architecture Guide Book (Paperback)
by Atelier Bow-Wow (Author).
Pet-architecture by Atelier Bow-Wow exploring micro size architecture that fills the fractures of Tokyo’s urban space.
Japanese Society (Pelican) (Paperback)
by Chie Nakane (Author)
Nakane explains in a clear way the structure of japanese society. Many doubts I had got an answer…
Incuriosisce spesso sentire dopo ogni nome (o quasi) la postposizione SAN. Ora che ci ho capito qualcosa faccio rapporto:
come il bel libro che Emanuele-kun mi ha portato spiega, ( La sociatà giapponese, Chie Nakane, ed. Cortina) la società giapponese ha struttura prevalentemente verticale (osservazione questa che si può fare anche senza leggere il libro, ma Nakane-san lo spiega meglio).
In ogni situazione ci si trova quindi prevalentemente in rapporti uno a uno in cui a seconda del ruolo che ciascuno ha (Nakane-san definisce ciò attributo) si instaura un rapporto tra le due persone. Detto questo i risultati sono i seguenti:
-se vi rivolgete a qualcuno di ruolo superiore, più anziano o comunque una persona a cui dovete rispetto (senpai) userete l’appellativo “san”.
-in caso vi rivolgiate ad una persona più giovane, di minor grado… (kohai)si usa “kun”
-nel caso di pari grado (dooryoo) nessun appellativo.
Ultima osservazione: i giapponesi sono soliti chiamarsi per cognome. Solamente tra familiari e amici d’infanzia si usa il proprio nome.
Capita quasi sempre al primo incontro con una persona, che dopo alcuni minuti di conversazione vi venga chiesta l’età che, insieme al ruolo che ricoprite in quella situazione, definisce la vostra posizione nel gruppo in cui vi state trovando.
Back from Hokkaido. Soon I will post the many pictures take. In the meanwhile the semi-serious diary I wrote for the thinking forest project has been published on their website. look here
Last year it was famous for the Calciopoli scandal: different teams were found cheating trying to arrange matches by putting “pressure” on referees.
What is interesting about this is not the cheating part which happens in many countries and many sports (yes even in your!) but the italian relation with rules.
Somehow Italy is a country where the line between legal and illegal is very thin and blurred; a country where who is convicted guilty suddenly finds himself on the opposite side.
Why am I writing this? Because a few days ago: “the Japan Sumo Association took the surprising step of suspending Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu from the next two grand sumo tournaments in September and November. This was to punish the yokozuna for playing in a soccer charity event in his home country after opting to sit out the summer regional tour starting Friday so he could be treated for waist and elbow injuries. ” ( from Asahi.com)
Sumo is a very interesting sport for many reasons: even if they weight a lot, sumo players do not look like a normal fat person of the same weight. They are agile, quick, elastic, there is an harmony in their bodies. Second: to be a sumo player one needs to be physically strong, technically skilled and behave in a proper way. Consider that a Yokozuna (the highest level a sumo player can reach) can be forced to retire because of misbehaviours.
Yes, sumo still values its ethical dimension.
Imagine this is football: giving the final score after taking into consideration the behaviors of each team. Interesting, ne?
Here an email sent by an iranian friend. I thought it was worth publishing.
I am neither a terrorist nor a wife beater, I don’t live in a tent and in desert and camels are not our ways of transportation.
I speak Farsi, not Arabic. Iran is pronounced “EERAUN” and not “I – ran” (it’s not track & field) News flash: Iran and Iraq are two different countries; Middle East is a region and NOT a continent. Belly dancers are NOT strippers (there is no sex in the Champaign room); Anyway, belly dancing is an Arabic dance, it never came from Iran . Each time you play a game of chess to improve your intellect, keep in mind that it was Persians who gave you your game. Iranian women are just as outspoken (if not more) and liberal as the European (western) women. And what the hell is “soccer”?? We also call it Football like every one else in the word (except Americans). Iran is the first country on earth to have a lion (male) and a sun (female) for its symbol; and the colors red, white, and green for a flag. A beautiful country run by the wrong people, but still is the best part of  Middle East . Allow me to introduce myself: I’M A PERSIAN. MY LAND IS IRAN ! Iranian Peace society
i am fine just a bit busy with work.
Last two week ends have been very interesting with the yamanote line walking tour and a visit to the small rural town of tomioka. Soon i will post some pictures.
Andrea Branzi is one of the Italian Design Maestro . More theoretical than practical, he continuosly surprises for his vision on contemporary time. Liquid, weak, widespread, fuzzy as others also define it (Vattimo, Baumann, etc..).
What is more surprising is that Andrea Branzi thinks as a biologist not as a designer.
Untill yesterday I did not realized how sharp a biologist mind is. Searching for Dynamic Visualization of Complex Data I soon realized that the one made by biologist were match more content oriented, beautifull and clear than the ones made by designer or engineers.
Cheer to the biologist.
thank you for exhisting. If it is a bad day and you do not feel like working just go to any automatic translator and try it out. Many interesting things might come up, this was today’s best:
Posted by giacomo 
Posted by giacomo 
Posted by giacomo 
