Japan. Because there’s a four week window in July and August when the clients don’t bother as much. Because when you look at the map of Hokkaido upside down, its almost the map of India. Because the land that nurtured Kuramata, Miyake, Kusuma, Noguchi, Fukasawa and so many more deserves a design pilgrimage. And because you must never need a reason to go anywhere.
The landscape is familiar. We’ve all been to Japan in a parallel life. The magazines and television focus so much on the bizarre craziness of Japan’s character that we forget its basically a set of islands – rich, lush, beautiful islands that change colors with the seasons.
Nine cities on our self made plan. A bit of everything, tailored to what we are and what we love. A precise balance of mountains and trains, streets, shops and shrines, aging cities and foreign-film styled hotels. Tokyo is rightfully first and last on the list.
Four days later its time to validate and commence the Japan Rail Pass. 14 days of unlimited bullet train travel. The heart rate goes berserk at the sight of the first Shinkansen rolling into the platform. Its the Hayabusa, the fastest of them all.
The destination is Obihiro, eight hundred kilometers north of Tokyo on the northern island of Hokkaido. Four trains and ten hours in all, but its a tireless breeze. The journey is a mix of 320km/h blurs, a tunnel that passes under the sea and lovely panoramic views of the sea from a track that runs along the beach.
Its late evening when we reach Obihiro. The increasingly familiar lights of the vending machines are comforting. On another street, a phone booth waits longingly for its next conversation with a stranger.
In the morning we catch the bus to Shikaribetsu lake, situated amidst the Daisetsuzan National Park. The park contains Japan’s largest primitive natural environment and is home to the brown bear and several rare wild birds. Besides all that trivia, its beautiful.
An old abandoned road leads into nowhere, and that’s a nice place to be. Nature reclaiming its own from man is a prettier sight than the other way around.
Back from Hokkaido, its a stopover at Tokyo for the night, in a hostel next to Philippe Starck’s Asahi Beer Hall and the Tokyo Skytree. The next morning its yet another bullet train – to Nagoya, the design capital. Two days packed with visits to the Noritake and Toyota Museums. More about that here.
Onward to Takayama, the train ride leads to the interesting discovery of Shisa Kanko, the marvelous error prevention method of the Japanese railway system. Hida-Takayama is in the mountains, and the train is the Hida Wide View express. Wide. View. Enough words to sell a train ticket.
A walking trail called the Higashiyama walk takes us through forests, shrines and old cemeteries. A grasshopper greets us along the way. I think of Aesop’s story about the ants and the grasshopper. Its still summer, so I’m sure he’ll do just fine spending his day on that sun soaked wood. Continue reading
General Aesthetic 