Tags：Art and LifeKanto

The 3rd Shinsenkyô Garden Seminar was held on October 12th at Nikkoden, a scenic place in Shinsenkyô, Gora, Hakone. Professor Seizo Uchida of Kanagawa University, a researcher in the history of modern Japanese architecture and housing and a member of the Shinsenkyô Preservation and Utilization Committee, gave a lecture on the subject of “The value and appeal of the buildings in Shinsenkyô.” More than 70 people with an interest in Shinsenkyô and Japanese architecture gathered at the venue.

 

 

Professor Uchida explained that in recent years the Agency for Cultural Affairs has been conducting research into the cultural value of not only historical architecture but also post-war architecture and emphasized that he personally feels that the architecture of Shinsenkyô is valuable, as it combines pre- and post-war buildings to create a beautiful landscape. He said that although there are many buildings in Shinsenkyô, they do not feel out of place with the garden because the layout makes clever use of the differences in elevation and blends in beautifully with the garden, and that this is what makes it so appealing, making it a rare place in the world. He stated that buildings are not just for sustaining life, but also devices for integrating people with nature and conveying the beauty of nature, and that he feels that the intention to connect people with nature is clear in the buildings of Shinsenkyô.

 

The building designs of Shinsenkyô can be divided into three categories: 1) “those that were involved with architects” (Kanzantei, Nikkoden, Sangetsuan), 2) “those that Mokichi Okada himself was involved with” (Hakone Museum of Art, Hakone Museum of Art Rest House, Hakone Museum of Art Annex), and 3) “those with unknown designers” (Shinzanso, Haginoya, Kagetsutei). Referring to Shinzanso, he pointed out that it was built as a villa for Raita Fujiyama, the designer is unknown, and that the completion date was thought to be around 1935 at the time it was registered as a cultural property in 2001, but subsequent investigations revealed that Fujiyama had built a villa in Gora around 1921, suggesting the possibility that the completion date may be changed in the future. Shinzanso, which is a single building made up of both Japanese and Western-style buildings, is said to have characteristics of the upper-class housing style during the Meiji period when Western culture was entering Japan. He explained that the house had overcome some extremely difficult challenges, such as being built on a slope and using processed natural rocks as stairs in some parts of the building. Noting that Mokichi Okada started creating a prototype for a paradise on earth here, he said that Shinzanso is not just a building, but an attractive piece of architecture that evokes a traditional aesthetic sense that is one with nature.

 

 

He mentioned Isohachi Yoshida, the architect who designed Kanzantei and Nikkoden. He introduced Yoshida’s achievements in modernizing the sukiya-style architecture that was perfected during the Edo period, and in developing it into a style with a simpler appearance. He then mentioned Kanzantei, which was completed in 1946, with a bathhouse added in 1947 and a bamboo room and study added in 1950. Touching upon the living room designed by Okada, he emphasized that the space, created with a clear aesthetic sense, is a design on par with that of a professional architect. He said that while the bamboo room and study designed by Yoshida appear simple, they are actually very time-consuming to create. He thinks Okada must have praised Yoshida’s new architectural design that goes beyond the boundaries of tradition and said he applied this to the building.

 

He mentioned Nikkoden and confirmed that it was designed by Yoshida and completed in 1949 and then expanded in 1951 after the building restrictions that had been in place until then were lifted. He introduced how the inner entrance leading to the Rock Garden is an example of Yoshida’s technique of hiding the pillars inside the wall to create a simple appearance, and how the tokonoma alcove, while being the unique style of Yoshida, also respects traditional techniques.

 

 

The conversation then turned to Sangetsuan, which was completed in 1950, and he explained that Okada had commissioned the design by Seibei Kimura III, a master sukiya architect, on the advice of the 12th head of the Mushakoji Mushanokoji Senke School of Tea. It was explained that despite the scarcity of materials after World War II, the bridge was built using fine wood such as polished logs from Kyoto and Yakusugi cedar. He explained that during the period of democratization under the occupation of the occupying foreign forces, the past was seen as something that should be discarded, and it was a difficult time to reconstruct traditional Japanese culture. He went on to explain that, despite such a situation, Sangetsuan was built with a strong awareness of tradition while also attempting to adapt to the new era.

 

Finally, he summarized the characteristics of the buildings in Shinsenkyô. He confirmed that Okada worked to realize a utopia filled with truth, virtue, and beauty, a paradise on earth, free from disease, poverty, and the ravages of war, in a place blessed with diverse and abundant nature and beautiful views. He emphasized that exposure to works of art can improve people’s lives and give them the power to solve various hardships, and that architecture within the Shinsenkyô is also a tool for the same purpose. He concluded his lecture by saying that through the architecture of Shinsenkyô, visitors can feel the changes in Japanese culture and aesthetic sense that have occurred over the years.

 

* Click here for past Shinsenkyô Garden Seminars（→1st、2nd）

 

Organized by: Executive Committee for the Utilization of Scenic Places of Shinsenkyô, Cooperation by: Committee for the Preservation and Utilization of Scenic Places of Shinsenkyô, Feel the Garden Co., Ltd., Supported by: Association of Owners of Buildings Registered as Tangible Cultural Properties by Kanagawa Prefecture, Supported by: Kanagawa Prefecture Board of Education, Hakone Town Board of Education