A day in December
The book of architect Baba Masataka, "RealTokyoEstate" director and a key player in the recent renovation movement, "Atarashii kogai no ie" (Ohta Publishing) is ready for publication. As I reported in a previous entry on this page, Baba became aware of the potential of suburban areas, bought a plot of land in Boso, built a house, and even designed several buildings around that now make up a little village. That’s about the story that he tells in this book. But don't expect something like an architect’s guide to his own gorgeous palazzo. Baba struggled to find a bank that would loan him money, and then racked his brains working out ways to construct his house economically yet creatively with the minimal budget he eventually had. Detailed explanations of the process are illustrated with copies of actual estimates, calculated down to the yen. The entire book is a concise overview of the actual state of modern housing in Japan.
More like a brilliant and essay, it is much different from the top-heavy stuff you usually find in architecture-related books, as it focuses in a straightforward manner on the question of one city-dweller who is exhausted by life in metropolitan Tokyo, asking himself "where do I want to live?" as well as on money and family matters involved. It portrays one individual case, but that one case applies in my view to a lot of people. Reading it made me once again aware of how indifferent the Japanese are about "living".
Just like Baba himself is influenced by a special kind of speed and enthusiasm he calls the "Boso drive", finishing not only his own house but a total of ten others in the neighborhood called Ichinomiya Surf Village last October, the work on the book progressed equally speedy. Following the planning stage in July, actual production began in September, and everything was done by November so we got our first sample copy from the printer in December. Even in our business it is definitely possible to be quick.
The funky cover is by Groovisions, a design collective known for their work for "100% chocolate cafe" sweets and cover artwork for Rip Slyme among others. The photos inside were taken by Ano Taichi, one of the best architecture photographers around.
December 17
We shoot a video with model Hara Yumiko in Harajuku. It’s for an exhibition related to my compilation book "Editorial Paradise" that will be published by Pie Books this coming April. A compilation of an editor’s works might sound odd, and even to me it seems strange. But I keep wondering why there are so many books compiling graphic designers' works out there, but not a single one collecting the creations of an editor, and as it doesn't seem likely that something like this is going to appear in the near future, I thought I'd just put out my own one. It’s going to be an exhaustive overview of all the things I've been involved with in the past, including magazines, books, leaflets, record covers, advertisements, film pamphlets, fashion catalogues, websites etc. All introductory text will be in Japanese and English, as will be several records of conversations and interviews. Art director is Nakajima Hideki, and the cover illustration is done by Paris-based Florence Deygas.
There will be an exhibition coinciding with the publication, and I asked model Hara Yumiko, to appear in a video that will be screened at the event.
It’s the second time I'm making a video with her, but I won't tell you more details here. Come to the exhibition and watch it. The first video we shot for the 2007 installment of the Takeo Paper Show, or more precisely, for a panel discussion with Florence Deygas, Alexander Gelman and myself. The one we're shooting this time is kind of an update of the old footage.
For the shooting we borrowed a conference room at Rock'n Roll Japan, a friend’s company that produces commercials. Hara gets the idea immediately and we're done after just one rehearsal and two takes.
She featured also in the recent Adidas Originals magazine introducing 59 stylists' creations. I believe that the appearance of Hara Yumiko is going to change the way and style of fashion icons in the future. The hippest model is the one that makes "today feel like tomorrow", and that’s exactly what I feel when working with Hara-san.
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