Tane Tsuyoshi is a Japanese architect based in Paris who established ATTA (Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects) in 2017.
His architectural philosophy, “Archaeology of the Future”, emphasises the importance of memories within places. The practice aims to create architecture with lasting impact by honouring the history of its location and capturing memories of the place.
Tane is currently engaged in projects across Europe and Japan, focusing on themes of memory, anthropology, archaeology, and the future.
Some of his notable works include the Estonian National Museum, the Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, the Tane Garden House for Vitra Campus, and the new main building of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, set to be completed in 2036.
Design is a diversity of futures born from a single creative happening.
Tane Tsuyoshi
As part of the Design Discoveries exhibition, Tane was invited to consider what to include in a collection of Japanese design treasures. He researched and presented Jōmon period village design at the Goshono Jōmon Museum, located within the archaeological site of Goshono in Ichinohe, Iwate Prefecture.
A gallery of 1 item.
Excavations at this site began in 1989, revealing the first-known Jōmon period mud-roofed pit houses in Japan. To date, remains of over 800 pit houses have been uncovered. In 2021, Goshono was included among the 17 Jōmon archaeological sites in Northern Japan designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Tane believes that design principles can be found in the early settlements of the Jōmon period, dating back approximately 10,000 years, which promoted communal living. With the transition from a nomadic lifestyle to settled communities, designs emerged that shaped the earth, fire, and other resources. The Jōmon people designed their villages based on a ring system. For 800 years, people became part of this interconnected ring, fostering a sense of belonging and community.
The first fixed settlement began by gathering around a fire. Pit dwellings centred around a hearth were constructed by digging holes to contain fire, building walls for protection, and using dug soil to create insulated living spaces. Earthenware with intricate patterns and anthropomorphic clay figurines were crafted by kneading and hardening soil.
The settlements fostered a commitment to remain on the same land, cultivating a sense of place and time. Evidence of this can be found in the circular arrangement of houses with entrances facing the centre, with a ring of stones serving as a focal point for honouring and mourning the dead.
“People were born and raised on the land, became adults, grew old and died there. They acquired the wisdom they needed to live for many years on the same land, giving form to the spirit,” explains Tane.
Learn more about Tane Tsuyoshi and Jōmon-era earthenware in our exhibition Design Discoveries: Towards a DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN, on display at Japan House London from 15 May to 8 September 2024.