#199: JAPANESE DOZEN

This past November, I spent 10 days in Japan, my first time. Through a whirlwind of architectural sites, cultural discoveries and culinary adventures—I had the best of times, of which I present here twelve.

1: In Kyoto, architect Tadao Ando has created a museum without a roof—just walls, ramps and water. The Garden of Fine Arts, an open-air, park-like gallery, invites visitors to stroll down numerous ramps around reflecting ponds and waterfalls, to come upon famous works of art (Monet, Michelangelo, da Vinci) reproduced on porcelain panels. The structure is poured-in-place concrete—the architect’s signature material—and it has the luxurious quality of natural stone.

2: Approximately 10,000 red-orange gates climb up and down a mountain in southern Kyoto. At the Fushimi Inari Taisha, these traditional torii gates honor Inari, the Shinto god of rice. With its creation in 711 B.C., this shrine has become the city’s biggest tourist attraction. And for good reason: the scale, craftsmanship and excessive repetition comprise a setting both extraordinary and surreal, historic and enigmatic.

3: Kyoto Station is the Grand Central of the region and one of Japan’s largest buildings. At a heroic 15-stories tall, the transportation hub includes a railway station, shopping center, cinema, hotel and government offices. Celebrating Kyoto’s 1,200th anniversary, this station, by architect Hiroshi Hara, opened in 1997 with its total floor area over 2 million square feet.

4: Upper left: Established in 778 B.C., the Kiyomizu-dera complex—translates to “pure water monastery”—includes Buddhist temples, shrines, halls, hills and waterfalls. Upper right: Known as the Silver Pavilion, Kannon-den dates back to 1490, and though originally intended to be covered in silver leaf, it never was. The structure houses the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Lower left: In contrast, Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, is actually covered in gold leaf. Originally built as a retirement building for a shogun, it became a Zen temple in the 15th century. Lower right: Ginkaku-ji Temple is an important example of the Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy where beauty is found within imperfection.

5: Departing Kyoto, a city of historical landmarks that fortunately evaded the aggressions of WWII, I arrived in a very different environment: Tokyo. From my hotel room on the 38th floor, I peered down on incredible urban density—buildings upon buildings, people upon people.

6: An innovative museum, teamLAB Planets offers large-scale experiential art that envelopes the visitor, who are required to be barefoot. The immersive exhibitions take you through a large body of water with digitally projected Koi fish, an entirely mirrored room with thousands of orchids rising and falling, a space of “spheres of light,” with ever changing colors and sounds, and much more.

7: Shinjuku Golden-Gai, an unbelievably dense neighborhood, offers izakayas—which translates to “stay drink place.” Within a maze-like network of the narrowest of alleyways—some only five or six feet wide—sits over 200 tiny bars. Most of these casual pubs, many smaller than a bedroom, provide only five or six seats. Once within this district, you actually can’t find your way out, like a Vegas casino that hides its exits or Martin Scorsese’s 1985 film, After Hours—where despite all efforts, Griffin Dunne cannot find his way out of New York City’s Soho.

8: Pritzker Prize-winning architects, Herzog & de Meuron, authored this six-level flagship store, Prada Tokyo Aoyama. Within the unique diagonally-structured, budging green glass skin, a shopper finds retail areas, event spaces and lounges. Yes, with the strength of the US dollar and no tax, I purchased two pairs of shoes.

9: An iconic work of designer Phillippe Starck, the 1989 Asahi Super Dry Hall is one of Tokyo’s most recognizable contemporary buildings. The golden rooftop form is a metaphor for “the burning heart of Asahi beer.” Unfortunately, many locals call it nothing more than “golden turd.” Hence, the slippery slope of symbolism in architecture.

10: A single mysterious red torii gate sits on the banks of the scenic Lake Ashi, welcoming visitors to the city of Hakone. On a clear day, Mount Fuji makes an appearance, a backdrop worthy of this setting. This crater lake last saw a volcano eruption in 1170, and today provides a popular fishing destination.

11: Hakone, a charming town located in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, celebrates its hot springs, mountains, and abundance of nature. The accommodations at Suiun Ryokan (ryokan translates to “small hotel”) take advantage of the very hot spring waters that supply the private saunas and public baths. Shown above, this exceptional traditional Japanese bathroom is definitely not the type found in other countries.

12: The meals at this ryokan, and throughout Japan historically and today, were no doubt works of art. Plates and bowls serve as a canvas to the gastronomic medium: colors, shapes, seasonalities, textures, composition and presentation.

Japan, you will be missed. I will return!