Material, simplicity and Function.

Thoughts about the project "UTSUWA 2.0"

— I hope that more people get to know the great thing about Japanese architecture technology and natural resources.

Starting with the opening of the office in Osaka, I have been working in the field of residential building planning for over 20 years. The change in the world unfolds before our eyes, a change that will continue unabated. Nevertheless, the fundamental desire for a rich and comfortable environment will not change in the future. I thought again about what design I could suggest as a designer and how our future living space should look like.

Since I started studying trees in 2006, I have actively guided my steps to forest areas and places that process wood. With every further visit I felt again the blessings of nature and their appreciation. The more I learned about trees and forests, the more concerned I became with the vast dimensions of the problems facing Japanese forestry. In my business, I also realized that the unsurpassed skill of the craftsmen has come to a standstill in practice.

I have already thought about how the situation might develop abroad. Therefore I would like to see and experience and record the situation in Northern Europe, which is a leader in the field of forest conservation and renewable energies, with my own eyes. I would also like to find out how the master system works. In order to be able to assess the potential of Japan from a point outside, I finally went to Europe. Against the background of these considerations, I have made Germany the location of my choice.

Since I moved to Germany in November 2019, I have had a lot of experience and learned a lot. My interest in this country has still not been exhausted. The language barrier is thicker than expected, and the cultural and habitual differences cause me to stumble; nevertheless I have by no means given up to face the challenges in Europe. One challenge is e.g. in the already mentioned project UTSUWA. I would now like to try to complete the project that started in Japan in 2015 in Europe.

I hope that more people get to know the great thing about the use of natural resources and Japanese architecture technology, for which I feel a certain pride. Passion and modesty in particular are extremely impressive, even the smallest, barely perceptible details are processed with the greatest care and the more I learned about them, the more I felt the desire to pass this excellent work on to the next generation. After I went abroad, this wish increased even more.

I would like to combine Japanese material and technology with German material and German technology and thus construct a Japanese room in a form in which it can be used in Europe. I also received information about the differences in culture and customs, and building on that, I would like to take on the challenge of developing new designs in cooperation with a German partner. In 2020 I would like to start the UTSUWA 2.0 project, which will contribute to the continued use and management of excellent handicraft technology.