I feel like there is a collective ability in Japan to transform ordinary moments into special ones. Everywhere I went I could feel that care had been taken in making every decision, and that craft and attention to detail had been essential in every act of making. Today I want to share a few of the ways this manifests in the urban environment.
Manhole Covers and sidewalks
Wow. Just wow.
I’ve seen custom manhole covers before, but never seen them deployed at such a scale and magnitude. Every city we visited in Japan deployed these decorated sewer covers. What made these so memorable was that they were regionally and culturally inspired, triggering an impulse to collect them all.
Lamps and Lanterns
This conversation needs to be prefaced. In most of the places I’ve lived street lamps aren’t particularly attractive. They’re too bright, the colour temperature (K) is uncomfortable and the lamp fixtures themselves become a nuisance. My measure of this is how much effort I’ll take to avoid them when taking photographs. But as you can see, that isn’t the case in Japan.
Most of my examples are from Kyoto, but the pattern was consistent in other places. Street lighting here is dimmer and more gentle than I’m used to, enhancing the environment and creating ambiance. The moments felt magical, and I had to pinch myself to be sure I didn’t walk into a Studio Ghibli film.
Notice how the fixtures are designed, they are smaller but more plentiful. There is care, craft and tradition evident in every fixture. My favourite is the glow from the paper lanterns, symbolizing good luck and happiness.
Painted shutters
This is the Taito district of Tokyo, near Senso-ji temple. One of my favourite things about this neighbourhood was the striking contrast of the urban fabric between day and night. During the day these shutters are lifted and the streets are filled with retail stores to serve the steady flow of visitors coming to and from Senso-ji. At night once the visitors have gone the shops close for the evening and draw their shutters, exposing a completely different character.
I love how these shops have collectively referenced traditional Japanese art and imagery.
On their own these interventions may seem small but collectively they make a great impact. To me, this integration of art and design into the urban environment demonstrate a place that has reached self-actualization.
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