The development of the toilet and the treatment of excrement in Japan are closely linked to a growing mechanization of the lavatory as a device and its progressive shift vis-à-vis the house from outdoors to indoors. In the Edo and early Meji Periods toilets were located at the edge of or outside the house. Conceived as a squat-latrine system, made out of wood, it was adapted for the easy collection of the excrement, which was then used as fertilizer. Between the World Wars, new systems, new materials, and even new toilets (for instance toilet bowls) were slowly introduced, while the collection of sewage became more and more mechanized, with basket collection being successively replaced by trucks, then mobile vacuum-extraction units, and later still by a Western type of sewage system with pipes. In recent years the predominant European-based device has become hyper-Japanized, highly automated (including washing, drying, background noise, cleaning, disinfecting, etc.), and even described and praised as something kawaii (cute, adorable) in the public narrative.
Genkan
From the Meji Period to today the genkan (a Japanese house-entry-cum-doormat) has evolved from a space of etiquette to a functionalistic space, and nowadays to a space of convenience. In the Meji Period a representative house had three entrances with a front genkan (表玄関), an inner genkan (内玄関), and a katteguchi (an outside connecting door) in the kitchen, reflecting the different social statuses of the master, family members, and servants. Etiquette required a long spatial sequence from the main entrance to the reception rooms, carefully designed and staging the best views to the garden. In post-war apartment houses the traditional design of the genkan was simplified to make it a compact space containing various functions such as storage, washing, receiving goods, or making phone calls. In essence it is designed as a public space inside an apartment. However, in contemporary high-rise residential buildings the boundary between the private interior and the public exterior has been overly stretched by the introduction of common entrance lobbies where guests can be welcomed on the ground floor. Moreover, a series of technical devices, such as cameras, sensors, automatic doors, elevators, and intercoms, have been introduced for security, accessibility, and comfort, again physically lengthening the distance to the private door to an even greater extent.
LIFE PERFORMANCE
Living in spacial voids carved through unique movements
Two performers in flux – one spinning, one climbing. Their living environment is defined by a balance of solid and void. An originally solid block, spatially subtracted by the motions of the spinner, acting almost like a mill, constitute an unconventional place for living. Spaces shaped by the motion of spinning, circular in their nature, in one continuous fluent place. The remaining volume being reminiscent of rauks, a column-like stone pylon eroded by the sea. Not only are the structures a true climber’s dream to cling onto, but the confined void into which one pushes and compresses to sustain oneself further caters to the behaviour.
Ginza Exrtavaganza
What would «Tokyo Palazzo» look like if it was built in Ginza? Which spatial schemes, functional and programmatic division would fit best for the intricate needs and habits of the building’s residents and tenants? How a <<palazzo≫ would interact with the context, which urban qualities will it create and which characteristics will become dominant at this specific place? How flexible should it be to be able to suit both nowadays and future needs of society?
The spirit and soul of the area would affect building’s character and appearance which will make the typology of a <<Ginza palazzo» unique for Tokyo.
EVERY BUILDING IN THE GOLDEN GAI
The exhibition reminds us of what is missing on Instagram or any social media, like other senses besides visual prompts and stories of real people there. All of this combined allow us to have a wider experience in the Golden Gai district. During the presentation, the explanation about the core of the exhibition could be better expressed from this point. The importance of this research also relies on the fact that it identifies the shift in the main user of this neighborhood as well as its urban shifts along history. The portrait of people – owners or guests of the bar – who tell us their stories are quite significant for the exhibition. In a next step for this work, having this bigger than what was presented in the space would be useful. This work is also valuable in the sense of preservation and documentation of the place and acknowledge Ed Rusha and “Every Building on the sunset strip” as a viable model.