This article describes how the renowned architect Kengo Kuma's designs were influenced by this Shikoku town, and how the town has been shaped by the architect. (Archived article originally published by Japan Today.)
Month: February 2020
Coffee Flag: a coffee oasis
Japan was once known for its $10 cups of coffee and other seeming extravagances. While those days have gone--decent coffee can now be had for less than a dollar and a half--, with it has gone the slow life that the owner-operated coffee shop represented. Well, not entirely. Here and there one can still find … Continue reading Coffee Flag: a coffee oasis
Remembering Japan’s wartime occupation of Singapore
On the afternoon of February 15, 1942, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival and members of his senior staff made their way under the Union Jack and a flag of truce from his headquarters at Singapore's Fort Canning to the headquarters of the Japanese Imperial Army at the Ford Factory on Bukit Timah hill. There, following a brief … Continue reading Remembering Japan’s wartime occupation of Singapore
Yusuhara: the eco-friendly traditional mountain town
In these days of environmental concerns, it's not unusual to hear talk of green living and energy independence. In the Shikoku mountain town of Yusuhara, it's more than just talk. This town of less than 4,000 people has adopted various practices to generate its own power and reduce its carbon footprint while caring for the … Continue reading Yusuhara: the eco-friendly traditional mountain town
Ritsurin Koen: a classic garden and the teamLab touch
Ritsurin Koen, a classic "samurai strolling garden", is a treasure of Takamatsu, a Shikoku castle town facing the Seto Inland Sea. With 400 years of history it is one of the most beautiful gardens of its type in Japan, with sculpted ponds and waterways, hills dotted with carefully tended pine trees, and landscapes that must … Continue reading Ritsurin Koen: a classic garden and the teamLab touch
Jigsaw Japan 