Roppongi Museums, Internet Cafe, Shopping and Kamakura

Monday, June 8, 2009, 10:00 pm

I last wrote about Friday, June 5th so let’s talk about my last weekend in Japan.

Saturday (June 6th) I woke up at 8:30 so I could take a shower (which I’m not supposed to do outside the hours between 5 and 11:30 pm by the way), turn in my sheets and finish packing before our check out at 10. After dropping off most of our stuff at the baggage checking area at the Olympic Center, we headed out as a class to Roppongi for a day of museums.

We started at the National Art Center in Tokyo, which was designed by Kisho Kurokawa with a sensuous curving glass façade that was unfortunately dulled by the overcast weather. There was an interesting exhibition by Nomura Hitoshi, who uses photography and sculpture to discuss ideas about the cosmos. The exhibition is a strange mix of observational photography, studies of the celestial bodies, and sculptures involving circling strands mimicking DNA, meteorites, glass and even solar panels. The collection is a retrospective piece comprised of about 130 works from the 1970s onward.

After getting lunch, we went into the Tokyo Midtown complex, done by a collaboration of architects, with Nikken Sekkei playing the role of the core architect. The master planning was done by SOM, and pieces of the large site were done by Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, Sakakura Architects, EDAW Inc., Communication Arts, Inc., and Frank Nicholson, Inc. This list includes some of the most prominent architects in the world.

Our main stop in the complex was the Suntory Museum of Art by Kengo Kuma. The museum was focused on sort of historical art, with an exhibition called Tenchijin-The Life and Times of Naoe Kanetsugu. The interior of the museum was really nice, with a very warm and comfortable palette of materials including wooden slats and a soft white light, reminiscent of the shoji panels of traditional Japan.

Our last stop as a group was at 21 21 Design Site, the museum designed by Ando. The building is, just as we would all expect, beautiful. Most of the space is sunk underground and the form above remains grounded while it seems to reach upwards at the same time, much like a bird spreading its wings before flight.

The exhibition itself is probably the most interesting thing I have ever experienced inside a museum. It is called ‘Bones’ and it was directed by Shunji Yamanaka. All of the works focus on bones, and strives to make a connection between the history and evolution that is contained in our own bones and the implications of the ‘bones’ of technology and machinery. There were skeletal structures of animals reinterpreted, as well as x-rays of machinery, including an airplane. The idea is to expose the beauty of internal structure, and for us to gain a new understanding of the things and creatures that surround us from the inside, out.

Some of the most interesting pieces included a bench that displayed both with light and on a computer screen, where the loads are distributed and where the stresses lie in the structure. It was a structural engineer’s dream. Another was based on the idea of a shadow, and that shadow developing its own ‘bones’ and becoming a separate entity. You stepped out in front of a light that was projecting on the wall, creating a shadow. As you move, the shadow is captured and analyzed by a computer. The shadow then begins to move and dance on its own, based on its own, separate structure. Finally, I think my favorite might have been the piano keyboard which displayed the structure of the music visually through lights that were activated by the hammers of the piano keys. It was a visualization of the music and I really enjoyed it.

After that, the group split up and Jeff and I headed to the Mori Art Museum, designed by Gluckman Mayner Architects. The main exhibit here was ‘The Kaleidoscopic Eye’ which focused on questioning reality and perception. Most of the pieces involved lights and optical illusions. Though some were interesting, the view over Tokyo from the museums Observation Deck on the 52nd floor was much more impressive. Jeff and I spent some time up there, and it was interesting to get to see Tokyo Tower in our cityscape images of Tokyo.

Finally, we were tired so we went to Ikebukuro, near the first place we stayed in Tokyo, to go to an internet café called W.I.P. (What’s up People?). On the way, we stopped at Denny’s for dinner. Don had given us each $50 for the night for lodgings. What is fortunate for us is that there was no way the internet café was going to cost that much, so our meal was paid for by the program.

Now before I go on, I should explain Japanese internet cafés. In the states, an internet café is essentially an open area with a bunch of computers filled with gamers. Here, there are internet lounges, with open computers, but there are also private booths. Jeff and I got a double private booth, which has a couch and a door. Internet cafés here also have showers, free soda, free movies, food for sale, comics and books. This one even had pool and ping-pong tables in another area. It is not uncommon for people to spend the night in internet cafés, if nothing else just to get some privacy. There is a pretty substantial lack of privacy in this country, just based on the density of the population, and it has led to some different viewpoints on public space and what functions are to be found outside of the house. Though our stay was not exactly comfortable, it was cheap and it was fun. All in all, the experience of staying the night in a Japanese internet café was totally worth the inconsistent sleep.

Sunday (June 7th) we woke up at 8 to pay for more time at the café, and then we slept for another few hours. We decided to turn the day into our ‘shopping spree’, buying all the gifts and souvenirs we had yet to buy. We spent most of the day in Sunshine City, Ikebukuro because we couldn’t check back into the Olympic Youth Center until 4. We went to a few department stores, a camera store and a few little shops along the streets. Finally at around 3, we decided to head back towards Yoyogi for check-in.

We got back to the Olympic Center and dealt with the hassle of checking in and getting our bags out of storage and getting our clean sheets. Then we needed a break. It was nice to just hang out for a minute before Jeff and I went to get sushi in Shibuya. We went to a place where the sushi goes by on a conveyor belt and you pick off the plates that you want. These places are, again, not uncommon here in Tokyo. The sushi was incredibly good, too.

After that, we wanted to go to Condomania, which I’m sure you can guess what they sell by the name. There were a bunch of joke gifts and stuff and I spent more money than I probably should have just because the stuff was too funny. Finally, we got home at a little before 11, completely exhausted.

Today our class took a trip to Kamakura, which is where my grandfather was stationed when he was in the army just after World War 2. We went to Kotoku-in temple for the giant Buddha, known as the Kamakura Daiibutsu. It is the second largest Buddha statue in the world and is a national treasure. What was interesting is that you can actually go inside the Buddha, and see the interior form of the casting. As architects of course, we were all fascinated by this.

Kamakura was made the political center of Japan in 1192, under Minamoto Yoritomo. It remained the most powerful city in Japan for over a century under the Minamoto shogun and then the Hojo regents before the center of power was moved to Kyoto. This was long before Edo, the ancient foundation of Tokyo, even existed. Kamakura is still considered the most prominent historical area in Eastern Japan, offering various temples, shrines and monuments. We also visited the Hachimangu Shrine, which was constructed for Hachiman, the patron god of the Minamoto family and a god of war and of the samurai. This explains the shrines construction and importance in the center of power of the ancient shogun.

Unfortunately, it seemed like the entire class just crashed today. I think the trip and our non-stop travelling and work has finally caught up with us. Because we were so exhausted, we did not see anything else in Kamakura today. We spent some time on the streets, wandering through the market and stopping here and there for some coffee or a snack. At around 5, we headed back to the train station to head home.

Tonight, I plan on relaxing and sleeping very soon. We meet tomorrow at 9:30 for our last meeting as a class to discuss our flights and any other final business. After that, I plan on relaxing all day, packing for my flight on Wednesday and maybe doing a little work. I will try to upload pictures tomorrow, but I don’t think I’ll be able to catch up before I get back to California, so keep checking my blog for a few weeks after I get home if you are interested.

My adventures in Japan are coming to a close. I look back on my time here and can’t believe how much I’ve seen, and how many insights I have gained. The cultural differences I have experienced here have definitely broadened my horizons and my understanding of the potential of architectural program and space. I am sure that I will miss this incredibly beautiful country, but to be honest, I think I am ready to come home. But don’t cry for me, Japan. If I have anything to say about it, I will definitely be back.