To be useful 100 years into the future.
Tokyo continues to change at a dizzying pace. A shift from the old to the new. The landscape of the quarter century in which I spent my youth is newer and unfamiliar.
On the last day of May, I took an express bus to Haneda Airport to catch my flight back to the United States. However, Haneda Route 1 was closed due to bridge replacement work on the Metropolitan Expressway. Express Daishi Bridge, a major artery across the Tama River, that has connected Tokyo and Kanagawa for half a century and carries 80,000 vehicles a day, was undergoing major construction work that would bring it to a complete halt for two weeks.
The Expressway Daishi Bridge will be reborn now, 100 years into the future. This is the advertising slogan for the new bridge. The bridge replacement work was also done in a single phase using slides. A new bridge approximately 1000 feet long will be assembled next to the current bridge (downstream side), the current bridge will be detached and moved (upstream side), and the new bridge will be slide into place. This will allow removal of the current bridge and replacement with the new bridge in a combined time frame of only two weeks. The bridge construction itself will continue, with completion scheduled for 2025. Infrastructure development in Japan is truly craftsmanship. Excellent arrangement, Good job, Japan!
I boarded the bus two hours ahead of time, prepared for traffic jams. The perceptive driver diverted us to a less congested road and we arrived on time. Clever traffic jam avoidance. Wonderful, Japan!
On my detoured bus, I came upon an unfamiliar and strange sight. We passed by Kawasaki Ukishima reclaimed land in the bay area lined with oil refineries, chemical plants, steel mills, and power plants. That famous spot was used in the opening scene of Ridley Scott's 1982 classic film “Blade Runner”, and even 40 years later, I still felt as if I had wandered into a science fiction movie world and was almost pulled in by the bewitching flames. I am not talking about fiction, but about real eeriness and beauty.
As I passed this highway, I was reminded of the exhibition "Building Soulfulness" at the Heatherwick Studio, which I visited during my stay in Tokyo. Directed by Thomas Heatherwick, the studio aims to create a symbiosis between nature and urban space, revitalizing buildings from the past while creating gentle spaces for people to gather. It is a very innovative space that arouses people's curiosity without being bound by preconceived ideas. The Mori Building's Azabudai Hills in Tokyo will be the tallest skyscrapers in Japan and will be completed this November 2023. Heatherwick Studios will be responsible for the construction of the low-rise portion of the building. Looking out over Tokyo from the skyscrapers of Roppongi Hills, I tried to imagine how Heatherwick's perspectives could be incorporated and nurtured in this location. There is not much greenery in Tokyo. Maybe we should ask Heatherwick to add more greenery?
Nearly 1,000 trees, including some 100 years old, may be cut down in the redevelopment of Meiji Shrine Outer Garden in Tokyo. The development is proceeding without any discussion at all with those who oppose it. The late musician Ryuichi Sakamoto left a final message to protect the trees in the outer garden,“Trees benefit everyone without discrimination, but development benefits only a few vested interests and the wealthy. Is it reasonable to cut down irreplaceable trees for this purpose? Isn't it our responsibility as people living today to protect the landscape that cities have acquired over the years and to preserve the natural environment within cities? “I hope that the trees will remain, just as his music will remain forever.
The earth is a finite, complex system that is affected by human actions, including unpredictable climate change. We humans have a responsibility to take a moral perspective and engage in activities that will work 100 or 200 years into the future, even if we are no longer around. I asked myself this question.
I have been trying to preserve the art and tradition of textiles for the last 20+ years. Brunello Cucinelli of Italy comes to mind. The small cashmere dyeing company he started in Italy is now a place, where artisans hone their skills, work energetically, pass on their craft, and live prosperous lives. The management growth he has achieved through his practice will serve them well in the next 100 years.
In this way, I have come to feel very much that it is important for me to do the kind of responsible work that he did.
-Yuh Okano 6/19/2023
