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Takekuni Ikeda, Ph.D President Architect, Ikeda Institute Honorary Chairman, Nihon Sekkei, Inc. Director, HTB Environmental Research Institute Honorary Member, The Japan Institute of Architects (JIA)
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen;
I’m
Takekuni Ikeda, Honorary Chairman of Nihon Sekkei. I’d
like to talk to you today about a proposal I have for a small
Japanese town, Tomonoura, that is at a crossroads over its future.
My ideas for Tomonoura reflect my basic belief that we can preserve
our natural and historical heritage while renewing our cities
in preparation for the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Before I get into the heart of my talk, let me first give you
a historical perspective.
Japan’s major cities underwent aggressive, rapid
modernization during the past half-century as they rose from the
ashes of World War II and grew through the ensuing periods of
reconstruction and high economic growth. This took place amidst
urban redevelopment that concentrated on the needs of the automobile-oriented
society and reflected advances in high-rise building techniques.
As modernization progressed, cities became more efficient, the
conveniences of motorization materialized, and people came to
enjoy increasing material affluence. But this went on in total
disregard for our cities’ natural environment and
their many surviving historical structures, which now faced demise-the
victims of progress. Destruction of the once-rich natural environment
got so bad that it developed into a major public issue. People
also started noticing the loss of their historical heritage, which
they now realized was important to them as food for the human
spirit.
A polarization of thought emerged: Opposition between those who
sought development to spur economic growth and those who advocated
the importance of environmental preservation grew, evolving into
a “developers versus preservationists” scenario.
Tomonoura, the town I want to talk to you about today, is typical
of a locality caught in such a quagmire: The two sides are deadlocked,
but the tide is moving toward development because of political
string-pulling. Since I believe development and preservation are
not incompatible, and that we should be looking for ways for them
to coexist, I volunteered a proposal.
Whether my ideas will bear fruit, I can’t tell yet;
but before I get into them, let me tell you about a precedent
that might be of reference.
I was involved in the conception and design of a resort called
Huis ten Bosch, which opened in 1992 on a tract about the same
size as Tomonoura. When we took on the Huis ten Bosch project,
we undertook an experiment to prove the compatibility between
environmental preservation and economic development.
Huis ten Bosch was built on reclaimed land in a corner of Omura
Bay. The prefectural government had constructed an industrial
park that was supposed to energize the local economy, but the
endeavor failed and was abandoned. The site stood empty for over
20 years, with nothing done about the environmental devastation.
The first thing I did was see how far we could get in reviving
the devastated ecosystem. The project had to be economically viable,
so we had to design an urban space that struck a balance between
economic and ecological needs.
We did everything conceivable to help revive the ecosystem: soil
improvement, tree planting—we planted four hundred
thousand trees. We got rid of the concrete revetments along the
shores. We even brought in advanced treatment methods to recycle
domestic waste water, and excess water we put to work treating
the soil with bacteria, taking care all the time not to discharge
a drop into the sea! We also installed underground utility conduits
with the piping and wiring for fiber-optic cables-to enable the
area to have multimedia functions-along with those for energy
and power supplies.
Above ground, the roads in Huis ten Bosch are paved with cobblestone
or brick to aid water permeability, speed limits are held to 15
kilometers per hour, and pedestrians have the right of way—so
visitors can take their time as they shop and enjoy the scenery.
Now to my proposal for Tomonoura.
Tomonoura is a small town of 7,000, about ten kilometers south
of downtown Fukuyama, a city in Hiroshima Prefecture. It has a
two-thousand-year historical tradition, and in olden times it
prospered as a port on the Seto Inland Sea. It is of interest
because it has managed to preserve its natural and historical
heritage. In particular, its central harbor is irreplaceable:
Tomonoura is the only locality in Japan to retain its Edo-Period
harbor facilities, which make ample use of the area’s
natural characteristics.
In October 1983, though, a board with authority over the harbor
approved plans to reclaim part of it and build a bridge to make
the old town more accommodating to cars. The plans faltered on
local opposition, but proponents have used political pressure
to get the ball rolling. The town pulled together an Urban Development
Master Plan that is premised on the reclamation-and-bridge project
and, in March 1996, submitted it to the prefectural government,
paving the way for its execution.
Still, proponents and opponents both lack a vision for Tomonoura’s
future, and the road to a true solution is, shall we say, still
fogged in.
My proposal for Tomonoura seeks to address the problems post-war
urban planning has wrought upon modern Japanese cities: the pollution
and the destruction of nature, the loss of our streets as part
of our living space, and the destruction of our historical heritage.
First, I would bring the urban environment into harmony with nature
by restoring the harbor and nearby sea, polluted now by domestic
waste water and runoff, to the way they were in the 1960s and
before. This would allow us to bring back the marine life that
once inhabited these waters. Techniques include the cultivation
of mountain and forest vegetation in the town’s hinterlands,
restoration of the waterside ecosystem, recycling of domestic
waste water, and improvement of the breakwaters around the harbor.
Next, I would bring back safe pedestrian spaces and provide adequate
infrastructure. Out with the telephone poles, in with fiber-optic
cables and plumbing for the water supply and sewer system, hidden
away in underground utility conduits. I would also place fire
hydrants at key points so the town could be fitted out with an
advanced, computerized disaster-prevention system.
Tomonoura’s old historical downtown is marked on
the north and south by boundary stones erected over a century
ago along Tomonoura’s main road. Within this area I would impose
a speed limit of 15 kilometers per hour. I’ve also proposed plazas,
called Tsuji Squares, that would provide space for buses and the
loading and unloading of delivery trucks. These would alleviate
traffic congestion and free the streets for pedestrians, making
them once again a place where people can shop and mingle, and
children can play, in peace.
Creating an environment alive with historical tradition is an
important challenge in building more attractive urban spaces,
if not only because the cultural continuity provided by an awareness
of history nourishes the human soul.
Tomonoura, as one of the few towns in the world to have preserved
such a wealth of tradition, is prominent historically. But discarded
are the wells that acted as social focal points in the daily lives
of yesterday’s citizenry, and the private houses
of the old town are gradually being torn down. My proposal calls
for an affirmative stance in restoring these structures and exploring
creative ways to breathe life into historical treasures.
Also, we need to promote local specialty industries to sustain
citizens’ livelihood. Beginning with swordsmithing
700 years ago, Tomonoura has long thrived as a town trading in
iron products-hand-wrought nails, anchors, and other fittings
for ships, and more recently it even had a steel industry. There
are other local specialties with long, proud traditions, too;
but all are now in decline-the victims of mass-produced products.
People need to realize that such industries will be of great significance
in the future because of their high-quality, hand-crafted products.
Multimedia could, and should, be used to convey their true value
to people on a national scale so locals can secure customers and
stabilize their businesses.
Lastly, my proposal foresees urban facilities appropriate for
international exchange. Fortunately for Tomonoura, its geographical
features and decreasing population protected it from the modernization
and accompanying urban sprawl that has ruined many other cities.
I propose keeping plans for the largely in-tact old section clearly
differentiated from those for the outer areas. The buildings and
shops of historical value lining its streets would be restored
and kept in the best possible condition; hotels, an international
convention center, and other commercial buildings would be built
in an old steelworks park and on the level land on the outskirts,
together with car parks and other modern facilities—especially
the underground infrastructure to support multimedia functions.
All would be harmonized with nature, and the urban facilities
of the old town and the outer areas would complement each other.
I offer my suggestions in the hope that the people of Tomonoura
will use them as the impetus to embark on a better path for their
town. They ought to have the option of doing something other than
the simple pursuit of economic development through conventional
means—things like reclaiming land and building bridges.
My proposal for Tomonoura is inspired by and based on the results
of our successes at Huis ten Bosch, where many of my ideas have
been tried and proven. If carried out, I believe it is assured
of success: Certainly we can preserve our natural and historical
heritage while renewing our cities without taking them the way
of the many, in Japan and elsewhere, that have sacrificed so much
in the name of modernization!
Thank you. |