I wrote a short piece on Tokyo for the UIA World Congress of Architecture which will be held here in Tokyo in 2011.

A visiting architect-friend of mine described Tokyo colorfully as “an urban disaster with shit-piled-upon-shit”. Seeing my slightly annoyed face, he thoughtfully added “but it is fascinating shit”. This is a stereotypical reaction I have heard many times over, and not only from visitors. The Japanese themselves, architects as well as non-architects mutter an apologetic reference to European cities when we talk about Tokyo. Kenzo Tange once said that Tokyo has had many times over the chance to rebuild itself: after the Great Earthquake of 1923 or after the World War Ⅱ bombings, but according to Tange the rebuilding from an urban design’s point of view always failed. Did Tokyo, the world’s largest urban entity, really fail?

Read the rest here

The slides of my presentation at the Economist Intelligence Unit are available here:

economist_090616

With Tokyo daytime temperatures in their 30’s, working is becoming a drag. Especially going out. There is obviously a relationship between temperature and productivity. This study from the Cornel University suggests that in the winter raising the temperature to a more comfortable thermal zone saves employers about $2 per worker, per hour. And this study by Olli Seppanen concludes that an average of 2% decrement in work performance per degree Celsius temperature, rise when the temperature is above 25°C. The problem really with air conditioned indoor spaces is to find a proper temperature balance, as there is a difference between perceived temperature versus actual temperature. Someone coming from outside might perceive an indoor space rather cold while someone already in the space might find the space rather hot. In addition to the heat, the “Cool Biz” campaign by the Japanese Ministry of Environment aimed at getting people to remove their neckties and jackets, seems according to this article in Japan Today to have another effect:

Each week at a section on its website called “aspara club,” the Asahi Shimbun polls some 8,000 registered “be monitors.” The results then appear each Saturday in the print edition’s supplement, in a department called “be between.”

“The question for the July 26 edition was, “Do you feel women’s summer garb is too extreme?” Of the 4,361 valid responses, 80% replied in the affirmative. Of these, nearly equal numbers objected to flashing of too much skin (2,189 responses) and allowing undergarments or navel to be exposed (2,011 responses).

Asked which garments were unsuitable to be worn at the workplace, 3,320 respondents named camisoles—which originally functioned as an undergarment.

“Seeing women nonchalantly wearing something that looks like underwear is really unpleasant,” a 67-year-old Tokyoite tells Asahi.”

Is Japan’s flirt with recession merely a side effect of the high temperatures?  

J@pan Inc asked my views on architecture of Japan and especially Tokyo. Although it is presented as if written by Jun Mitsui (I used to work for him), you can read the whole story here.

Jun Mitsui’s point that Japan is becoming a disposal ground, a toilet for foreign architects, is funny indeed, but I think rather outdated. Most of the interesting architecture in Japan these days comes from young Japanese architects, the days of foreign dumpings (potty training would be a better description), in my opinion are over. Don’t forget that most of the shit built here is by Japanese architects.

The new Peninsula, dumped according to the new colour regulations?

The question for 2008, and here is my (easy) answer:

1. Japan has the highest pro-capita rate of architects, of the 1.2million registered architects world-wide Japan has over 300,000,

2. There are very few aesthetic regulations: anything goes,

3. In the chaos architects work hard to make their buildings stand-out,

4. Tokyo has some of the world’s most daring and cash-rich clients,

5. Japanese construction companies (not only the major ones) are the world’s most advanced,

6. Buildings have an average life-span of around 30 years,

7. The city has been destroyed many times over (and most likely will be again soon).

OK, this weekend are the elections, imagine, just imagine Kurokawa becomes the new Tokyo Governor, what would he do (if I were him)?

1. Bury all the electrical poles, and while doing that fix the Tokyo sewers. A first great step to make Tokyo not to look and smell like shit.

2. Push for a clear definition of what it means to be an architect here in Japan, push for a separate license for a “structural engineer”. Enough First Class Licensed Architect Aneha-shit!

3. Introduce some design guidelines for urban planning and architecture that goes beyond shadow zoning. (But make sure that Kurokawa will not be chairing this board)

4. Make at least 10% of the roads in Tokyo’s centres car-free. All the time! Too bad for those coming from Saitama trying to show off their sporty cars (Boom! Boom! Boom! Sunglasses! Cabriolet! Saitama license plate!) in Shibuya’s shopping streets.

5. Plant some trees in the city, add more parks. Tokyo has the lowest number of parks/person among capital cities in the world. But make sure to vary the type of trees! (Note: have a serious discussion with Chiba to reduce the air-born pollen from their trees floating into Tokyo. We don’t want to be number one hay fever capital in the world anymore.)

Architect, Kisho Kurokawa is planning to run for Tokyo Governor:

“Internationally acclaimed architect Kisho Kurokawa indicated Wednesday he may run in the forthcoming Tokyo gubernatorial election.

Kurokawa, 72, has stated his intention to stand in the gubernatorial race to be held on April 8 unless the 74-year-old incumbent Tokyo governor, Shintaro Ishihara, abandons his plans to seek reelection.

By indicating his desire to run, Kurokawa apparently hopes to persuade Ishihara not to seek reelection for a third term.

Among his campaign pledges, Kurokawa said he intends to push for the withdrawal of Tokyo’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games and would promote the relocation of the functions of the capital.”

Japanese architects have always been very critical of Tokyo, I wonder what Kurokawa would mean for the city?

I stumbled upon this in Marunouchi today. An interesting idea that when taken further than the few patches on the walls of this construction site, could yield a very interesting office tower indeed…