Autumn

OLYMPUS 35 DC

Summer Fireworks

Even though the leaves have already changed colour and started to fall since it is Autumn now, I still love to share the memory of Japanese fireworks back in Summer.

In Tokyo, the weather was getting hotter from June through August, the peak was in August. Fireworks festival began along with the Summer period. Some were representing, "Hey, it's Summer!", some were "Summer is ending now."

Japanese people are very sensitive to the change of season. There are seasonal foods, fruits, drinks, special dishes, activities, clothes, ceremonies, and the endless list in my opinion. I've learnt in college that maybe it was the fact that they are living on an island where natural disasters are so common to their daily life, for example, earthquake.

This year, I was happened to be just in time for a firework in Nikko. It wasn't a huge festival compared to one I've seen in Tokyo. In Tokyo, most of the festival were big and super crowded, after the last shooting firework, people were scrambled for a train back home. But in Nikko, people seems like they walked from their home to attend the festival. The atmosphere was much more cosy, and yet fun.

Hotel Okura Tokyo

When in summer, I went to visit Hotel Okura Tokyo, one of the iconic building since the last Tokyo Olympics back in 1964, though it was completed two years earlier. I read the article in Monocle magazine months ago about the renovation of this gorgeous building for the sake of the coming up Oympics 2020.

The Okura Tokyo is an architecture combining Japanese architects, folk artists, and potter, altogether, reflected Japanese traditional space, colours, atmosphere, yet including the sense of modernisation, an attempt to rise after the devastation of World War.

According to what I read from the magazine, this incredibly stunning space will be developed into the 38-storey high glass hotel building, 550 rooms. The renovation plan will be done by 2019, in time for the Rugby World Cup and also Olympics.

When I entered the hotel, I went in the wrong entrance so I didn't find the lobby at first. Anyway, entering the lobby from whichever direction still made me impressed. The space of the lobby, for me, wasn't so public, its has a private atmosphere, subtle natural light coming through 'Washi' on the window, Japanese paper used to make sliding screen/door. For the artificial light, most of them came form the lovely unique ceiling lamps. It was a little bit dark but enough for those activities occur in the lobby, I think.
I had a conversation with a concierge, I asked whether I can take a photo in there or not, and she told me to please take a stair up to the mezzanine too, and please enjoy the space. I asked her about the renovation plan, and she didn't seem to worry and told me that the developer are trying their best to keep the best of the hotel also.

Inujima

The same speedboat that stops at Teshima will later take you to Inujima in 55 mins. Sitting outside at the back of the boat was super cozy, feel the sea-breeze and sunlight on my face was somehow relaxing and comforting.

There was nothing else on the island except the Seirensho Art Museum and Art House Projects which were totally worth visting. The tickets are sell in the information center which you need only one ticket to entry them all. They gave a map with suggested route to explore all artwork accessible by foot. 

The Seirensho Art Museum took place where hundred years ago, it was a copper smeltery that was shut down due to the dramatic decrease of copper price in the modern era. According to that, the island has been deserted until recently. The architect, Hiroshi Sambuichi, designed from the existing to create the project that brought together architecture and other natural energies to reduce the burden on the environment, and art by Yukinori Yanagi. For further information, go here.
The art exhibited inside was impressive. The artist use the mirror back and forth in a maze-like path, every time you look back, you'll see the burning sun behind you, and while you're walking, the open sky is right before you. They don't allow picture inside so...

Inujima Art House Project, was also funded and run by Benesse Inc. It is developed by Yuko Hasegawa, as the art director, and Kazuyo Sejima, as an architect. Three of them were specially designed for art displays, F-Art house, S-Art House, and I-Art house. A-Art house and C-Art house were opened later with works by five artists.
Even if I don't have much knowledge about art, I did enjoy very much of them. Plus, a small cafe&restaurant near the last art house project was very nice. I had Spinach, Bacon and potato pasta which served in a japanese craft plate, very kinfolk-like. lol.

NIKON V1 + 10mm LENS

Teshima

Twenty minutes from Naoshima in a sunny day in pre-Autumn was a pleasant journey. We took the first ferry and get back on the last one.

A woman at the information desk advised me to rent a bike so that I don't have to wait and stick to the bus timetable that doesn't come every 10 minutes but more than half an hour, but since I was travelling in a group of 10 people and not everyone are bikers, we all agreed to use the bus route.

On the way to Teshima art museum, on a bus, we thought we made the right choice because the island's topography is made up of many small hills, our legs would definitely turn into jello after biking. 

Teshima Art Museum is consisted of Rei Naito's artwork and Ryue Nishizawa's architecture. Before visiting the museum, I didn't know that the art exhibiting in there is what. I was amazed by how architecture and art come together so beautifully. Inside the waterdrop-like architecture, constructed of concrete, without column, 40 to 60 metres wide, 2 open-skylight connected the architecture to nature, there was numerous waterdrop appearing from very tiny holes and flowing randomly on the floor. I couldn't figured it out why some drop just stay still and some flow to find the drain. It was mesmerising. It's funny how I could just sit and stare peacefully in silence for a very long time.

And again, they don't allow any photograph inside the art space. Please refer here for Iwan Baan's gorgeous photos.

Christian Boltanski Les Archives du Coeur was set up on the farthest area of the route. It stands beneath the beach, facing the sea. There, you can listen to stranger's heartbeat or pay to record your heartbeat sound too. We didn't understand much about this one but we did enjoy the view and have a little rest on the beach. But, I had listened to somebody's heartbeat, totally stranger from across the continent, it was strange but interesting.

I was too tired to get to Mori Mariko's work which I really would love to see, I was too tired though, I stopped at Shima Kitchen and have a nice lunch set, which was very satisfying.

Benesse Art Site in Naoshima

It is really an art site, holding three gorgeous museums and having several open-air sculptures where people can enjoy the scene by walking.

From the Tsutsuji-so bus stop, (last stop from Miyanoura port), a free shuttle bus operated by Benesse art site will take you to Benesse house, Lee Ufan museum, and Chi Chu art museum. I didn’t make it in one day for 3 museums, but one each day after came back from nearby island in the evening.
They were all designed by Tadao Ando, a very well-known Japanese architect who wins the Pritzker years ago. He is famous for his signature concrete and stunning spaces within.

Chi Chu Art Museum is the one I appreciated most. All of the art works and how they were exhibited in each individual space are so impressive. Getting to have experienced them all was very satisfied and worthy. Claude Monet’s waterlilies were hanging in a very subtle light room. James Turrell’s open sky, Walter de Maria’s Time/Timeless/No Time, … It was a little disappointing that camera is prohibited, but understandable, I do believe that the atmosphere in the museum wouldn’t be like that if they allowed people to shoot anyway they like.
I feel sorry I couldn’t help myself using iPhone snap some scenes.

Lee Ufan Museum is the one and only museum that exhibited the work of Lee Ufan, Korean minimalist painter and sculptor. I do not know his name before planning to visit the island, but I did a little research. His work here are mainly about stone and steel, minimal steel sculpture, paintings that used various size of stone as a brush, they were interesting though.

Benesse House, Benesse Art museum, and so on. Including hotel, restaurant, cafe, shop, and art space. I’d highly recommend to spend a night at the Benesse hotel for anyone who can afford. There is some space that only hotel guests can visit. I, someday, would love to visit as a hotel guest again.

Naoshima at first glance

During my pre-Autumn holiday, in the end of September, I took off from Tokyo and head to the Seto Inland Sea's islands, where art, architecture, and culture meet.
From Kansai International Airport in Osaka, a limousine bus head straight to Takamatsu port took about 3 hours and a half. It was a pleasant day, sunny, and bright blue sky, to travel anywhere. A ferry from Takamatsu port to Naoshima's Miyanoura port took 50 mins, a little bit long since it was a big ferry that carried cars and vehicles as well. I didn't noticed that it was already 50 mins. Time passed in a blink while all of us were enjoying the weather and the scene from the boat deck.

Arriving at Miyanoura port's ferry terminal, designed by Japanese architect, SANAA, was so nice. I am a big fan of SANAA (Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa), their super slim and sleek architectures always fascinated me in someway. The ferry terminal, from the afar boat deck, is just a thin horizontal line cutting the sky from the ground, if you don't take a good look you might couldn't see there's a roof of the terminal floating in the air.
It was a terminal for ferry's arrival and departure, and a bus terminal for going around the island too. The facilities and circulation are simple enough to be easily understood. The round columns in white are so thin that make me in awe of it. But there's also the wall-bearing structure hiding behind the reflected cladded materials too.

There was a music festival being held on that day, so I was kinda surprised to see numbers of people gathering in the lawn in front of the terminal. Young people were enjoying the mini concert and children were playing inside and around Yoyoi Kusuma's red dot pumpkin sculpture nearby.

* NIKON V1 + 10mm LENS

The Roastery

Back in Tokyo and my coffee addiction.

Most of the coffee in Japan, in my opinion, are quite light. So when I found this place where they doubled shot for every cup, I was thrilled to try. As so the review on some blogs and magazines I read so far, they have high-rated this place for a nice espresso.

The Roastery by Nozy coffee, operated by the T.Y.Harbor Express. (Ivy place, Cicada, etc.)
Located on the famous Cat's street between Shibuya Station and Meiji-jingu/Harajuku Station. It is a very nice place to stop by when you went for shopping there. A very foreigner-friendly place, too.

In Winter and early Spring, they provide a heater and blankets outside. In Summer, it is absolutely nice to go, even if there's not much tables. I must say, it isn't a place for working on your laptop or reading on your own, but a place for grabbing real coffee, refresh, re-boost, and hanging out with a small group of friends.

( NIKON V1 + 10mm LENS )