Japan boasts numerous art galleries and museums. However, the number of establishments that put on exhibitions focused specifically on design is still quite low.
Way back in 1912, a paper “Proposal for the Promotion of Crafts” was submitted to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry). Yet despite all the interaction between the state and the private sector over the 100 years since, plans for a design museum have never come to fruition.
I joined others on a journey towards a potential design museum, and we started investigating why this was. Three key concepts need to be considered here: ‘design’, ‘Japan’ and ‘museums’. We delved into each of these and then asked ourselves why Japan was such a latecomer, waiting until the 21st century to create its own museum of design, as well as what kind of ideas we would need to come up with, and this formed the thinking behind DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN (DMJ).
We began with a basic premise of reviewing the very concept of ‘design’. Specifically, we redefined it as not meaning merely modern design, but encompassing ‘design as manifested in all aspects of life and culture, for over 10,000 years’. In that sense, it has been with us constantly, uninterrupted, since the Jōmon period.
Given that there was so far no museum of design in Japan, we were free to build a network of museums themselves holding design treasures and interpret the whole of Japan as one giant Design Museum.
Our methodology is for creators to visit local areas, work with exhibition curators and manufacturers to study and evaluate items transmitted within the ritual structures, lifestyle or culture inherent to each individual area, from the perspectives of cultural anthropology and archaeology, and then to produce a shared ‘collection’ as a result.
The ultimate goal is to have a place that can always be used to research the world of design, alongside permanent exhibition space for the collections.
This describes the initiative that I’ve been working on since 2019, as part of a team of designers, creators and architects, inspired by the world-famous Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake’s appeal to us all: ‘Let’s create a national museum of design!’
‘Design’ was already present 10,000 years ago
Until this point, my thoughts had been focused on architecture. But working on this exhibition afforded me the opportunity to think more deeply about “What is the essence of design?”, and the DMJ project which forms the basis of this exhibition also gave me a chance to contemplate and learn more about this essence.
When I visited the Jōmon villages at Goshono Site in Iwate Prefecture, I was inspired by the power of the place and its living environment, experienced in a more visceral way than with previous research. Why did these people, who had been continually on the move throughout this period, before the common era, end up settling in one place? As their perception of time changed, their collective consciousness awoke, their village communities arose and they considered life and death, and the Jōmon also came to design the land, they designed fire, society, time, even their own memories… It was an opportunity for me to learn about what went on with the Jōmon people of Goshono so long ago, from the perspective of design, based on concrete physical images.
Memories
I have been thinking about and researching ‘memories’ for a long time. This is a huge topic for the whole of mankind. I came to understand that in uncertain times, when what lies ahead is unclear, revisiting the distant past, re-collecting memories and connecting this past with our future can result in these memories not only belonging to the past: but also becoming an impetus, a driving force to forge the future. That is why I am attracted to the archaeological approach, where we dig into the memories of a particular place.
A gallery of 1 item.
Archaeology and handicrafts
Any time Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects is asked to design architecture for a project, we start by researching and studying the archaeological memories harboured in that place. What kind of place was it in the past? Who used it? What type of civilization? We use words and images to link all of these together and ponder on their meaning. Only then do we move into the actual design process, making models and drawings to conjure up ideas for the project’s basic concept. Also, although much of today’s construction industry is mechanized and industrial, we still use craftspeople to perform as much work as possible by hand. This is an important issue that relates to the lifespan of the building.
A gallery of 2 items.
Architecture is all about place
Place is of prime importance in architecture. My job is to think up the architecture that is just right for each place. Everything else can be done collaboratively. Creating a building requires an enormous amount of time and effort, and the repetition of numerous low-key but detailed tasks: conducting research, making drawings, constructing models, taking on board client requests, checking regulations, consulting government authorities, adjusting the builders’ budgets… In effect, the place is created through architecture, and it works because so many people’s lives intertwine to achieve this purpose.
About Tane Tsuyoshi
Born in Tokyo in 1979, Tane Tsuyoshi is a Paris-based Japanese architect. He founded ATTA – Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects in Paris in 2017 after having co-founded DGT. Architects in 2006. He is recognized as being one of the leading architects of the new generation. Tane believes that architecture belongs to the memory of a place that connects its past to the future. This idea is embodied in his concept – ‘Archaeology of the Future’. His major works include the Estonian National Museum, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, The Al Thani Collection at the Hôtel de la Marine, and the new main building of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, due for completion in 2036.
In his career, he has received numerous awards and honours, including the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2022; the Grand Prix AFEX – French Architects Overseas in 2016 and 2021; the Jean-Dejean Prize of the French Academy of Architecture; the Estonian Cultural Endowment Grand Prix; the 67th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists; and many others.