Thesis book ideas

Japanese traditional binding (Slab binding)
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Washi paper - Japanese traditional paper used on Fusuma, paper sliding door

Accordion style

Minka: a documentary about a farmhouse in Japan

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Thesis statement/Program

Thesis statement

Idiosyncrasy of Japanese Architecture:
Saving “Wabi-sabi” from the Western Influence

“Wabi-sabi” is the core concept of Japanese culture. It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete; a beauty of things modest and humble; and a beauty of things unconventional. This idea comes from the idea of “Zen”, which is one of the products of Chinese mind through the medium of Buddhist teachings. It is also a profound philosophy, which present analysis and speculations. “Zen” was built up as Japanese culture through art. And this is when it entered internally into every phase of the cultural life of the people unlike China where it remained as a religious act. “Zen” was even affiliated with the spirit of Samurai, the military classes of Japan. Their swords were their soul. Swords became most intimately connected with the life of the samurai, and it became the symbol of loyalty and self-sacrifice.

Since the Western culture began influencing Japanese society after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the idea of “wabi-sabi” in Japanese society is gradually fading away. The island Japanese nationality, which is easily influenced by other cultures, has transformed the Japanese culture in rapid speed. Japan imported and flooded the country with western products such as radios, trolleys, airplanes, and more. Japan also started to waste electricity to light the cities excessively. Now the cold and bright white western papers are used instead of Japanese papers, which have warmth and absorb the light.

This disappearance of “wabi-sabi” is clearly reflected in the countries contemporary architecture. The beauty of Japanese room, which is a layering of dim half-light creating shadows and heavy shadows against light shadows, is flattened and overly lit by Western light bulbs. The authentic Japanese space, the toilet, has transformed into the Western idea of toilet, white tiled walls, bright lighting, and it became a space that is “unclean”. Even the air conditioning and heating disrupt the Japanese space. Thus the Japanese notion of the building as art has disappeared. In order to bring back the traditional beauty of Japanese space, can we turn off the electricity to make the space dark, remake the wooden toilets, and dispose of air conditioning and heating? The answer is “No”.

This begs the question, what kind of architecture will bring back the “wabi-sabi” within the Westernized contemporary Japanese society? How can “wabi-sabi” and Western culture coexist in order to let Japanese society rediscover the roots of the culture? These answers will lead Japanese architecture to enter into the new era “Zen” space, where the user will be able to escape from the chaos of the contemporary world and rediscover the long lost self.

Programs

- Place to promote self-meditation such as tearoom, which will lead to self-discovery and enlightenment

- Place for occupants to interact with nature and experience the seasons

- Place to meditate upon and appreciate the gift of food

- Place to prepare food

- Place to host and interact with guests

- A separate toilet to experience the true “Japan-ness quality” in Japanese architecture

The activities that occur in this Japanese space must be associated with “Zen” and “wabi-sabi”, and also be translated to be appropriate to the contemporary society. These spaces should reflect and provide the meaning of Japanese culture, which is seen in tea ceremony, archery, kendo, and calligraphy, to lead people to enlightenment. Users of the space will be able to escape from the chaos of the contemporary world and rediscover the long lost self.

Site Analysis - 1945 to Now

1945 - After the Bombing of Tokyo
Pink - my site

Shaded area is the blocks and buildings that survived the bombing during WWII.
The building right next to my site is the Calligraphy Museum built by Fusetsu Nakamura (1866 - 1943). He was a calligrapher and a Western style painter. His house and the storage house burnt down, but the museum and the storage house for the museum survived.

Now

1945 to Now - Transformation

The street patterns and train track pattern did not change.

Site Analysis - Shiki An 子規庵

Pink - my site, Yellow - Shiki An

Shiki An in 1899

Shiki An in 1910's

Shiki An after Kanto Earthquake in 1923

Shiki An now

Shiki An is a former home of Masaoka Shiki (1867 - 1902). He was a Japanese author, poet, literary critic and journalist in Meiji period (1868-1912). Shiki is generally known as the major figure in the development of modern Haiku poetry and also played an important role in revitalizing Tanka Poetry.

He first moved to this location in 1894. After the earthquake, the house had to be rebuilt using the old material from the original house in 1925. After the bombing of Tokyo in WWI, Shiki An was burnt down. Fortunately the "Kura" (storage house) survived as well as his work. In 1950, the Shiki An that exists now was built.

Site Analysis - mixture of East and West

Buildings associated with Zen and the site

Traffic noises and the site

Flat roof (light gray) vs. Traditional roof (dark gray)

The most important aspect of this site is the mixture of Western influence on architecture and the resistance or artifact of traditional Japanese culture. On the top, I indicated not just the old buildings, but the buildings that are associated with the traditional Japanese culture, Zen. Those are temples, shrines, Museums of Calligraphy, old comedy house, and a home of a Japanese poet.

The second diagram is showing the traffic noise. This falls under the "new" category. The darker the color is the noisier the streets are. The medium shaded lines are the train lines. The site is surrounded by major traffic noises. This is very common in Japanese urban setting.

The third diagram is to show the flat roofs and slanted, traditional roof around the site. This indicates the purpose of the each building. The buildings with flat roof is the result of Western influence and the buildings with slanted roof are either old or the resistance of the Western influence.

My NEW site

Pink: Historical sites, Green: Temples & Shrines, Blue: Institution

This site is located in front of the home of Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902), who was a Japanese author, poet, literary critic and journalist in Meiji period (1868-1912). Shiki is generally known as the major figure in the development of modern Haiku poetry and also played an important role in revitalizing Tanka Poetry.

This site is also located next to the major train lines. On the other side, there are Tokyo University of Art, Ueno Park, museums, Kaneiji temple and cemetery.

This site is important for my thesis, because of the coexistence of old and new. Across my site is the old house and right next to my site is a contemporary building for Japanese calligraphy association. The institutions that I listed above is old also. The contemporary high rise buildings can be seen in the areal view also. In order to perform the "Japan-ness" in this site, I have to incorporate both new and old that exist in this site.