Chichu Garden plants

Along the approach to the entrance to the Chichu Art Museum, many plants, carefully selected by studying those in Monet' garden in  Giverny, grow. Even in the middle of winter in January, small little flowers are in bloom and greenery is beautiful. Here are a some of those.

Kurashiki before dawn

The Kurashiki preserved area, still quiet but soon lively with visitors.

Kurashiki snaps

Many attractive stores with proud owners stand in kurashiki. This store sells masking tapes made in kurashiki and still produced there and its vicinities. It also holds the workshop of making your own iron chair.

And kurashiki snaps today. 

Leo Villareal: chasing Rainbow, 2004

At Lounge and Archives, Honmura, Naoshima.

Sit on the sofa, chill, and see this for the time being. 

Artwork by Leo Villareal: chasing Rainbow, 2004

Naoshima February snaps

Some days in February may not be suitable for touring but it applies to any other month. So I still think February is a good month to explore the island of naoshima: with less visitors and less loss time, you appreciate more. Now a big hall for the townspeople is being constructed. It's almost complete. Locals say it's too grand but let's wait and see how the hall functions. This hall was designed by SANBUICHI Hiroshi who did the renovation of a former copper refinery on the island of inujima. Inujima, teshima and naoshima forms a trio of Benesse islands. 

Pine forests and the space it creates

Paintings on two folding panels entitled the pine forests painted by HASEGAWA Tohaku in the Edo period. The Tokyo national museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, owns the original. Photography is basically allowed at this museum. Photographer SUGIMOTO did his version of pine forests and it is exhibited in the Park Wing of Benesse House in naoshima. You need to stay there to see the artwork because it's in the overnight guests area.  

In both paintings, air, space, or void is real. 

At the museum, an impressive volume and variety of cultural, historical items are exhibited. Ukiyoe prints by HOKUSAI were one of the objectives of the visit this time. Below is one of my favorites. 

KUMA Kengo's architecture in Niigata

He is the architect now in charge of the design of a new Olympic stadium in Tokyo. The Tokyo Olympics is coming in2020. 

He proposes the architecture that does not insist. This city hall complex in nagaoka, Niigata prefecture, embodies his way of thinking. 

The city assembly hall is on the first floor where people engage in activities including the students working on their homework at the table or senior citizens meeting with friends and just chatting at their hearts' content. The building complex creates space where activities by people are encouraged. And naturally they are close to city hall physically and mentally. 

Details are interesting, too. The checker board design indicates that city authority and people are not separated but mixed and close to each other. The bird called Aore Bird fly on the walls. The complex has its thought and significance.