​

Rethinking Tokyo

 

​

Tokyo is a place where traditional customs and modern technology coexist. It is the cultural, financial, and administrative center of Japan and the most populated urban area in the world. Living in Tokyo can be stressful. Long working hours, strict laws and etiquette, and limited freedom of expression are major issues.
​
I have visited Tokyo several times over the years. While there, I learned several things about Japan that inspired me as a designer to start absorbing the surroundings and architecturally transforming them into design possibilities. The concept of the Rethinking Tokyo series focuses on the words “stress and people.”  The visionary images depict places of freedom where people can be themselves. I began the ideation process in my sketchbook, where the design started to take shape.  I employed various methods of digital imaging, including three-dimensional models and digital painting techniques to bring ideas to life. The images are created to resemble traditional ukiyo-e (woodblock print).
 
Salarymen Park
A white-collar businessman in Japan is known as a salaryman. The working hours of an average salaryman are 11-13 hours/day.  They spend the night at the office, sleep on a couch, entertain clients, and drink with their colleagues.  Inspired by the life of a salaryman and Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, I created a multi-purpose park where salarymen can take their time off, forget about their work, and become children again. There is no cure for a hectic life, but there is always a way to rejuvenate the soul.
 
Tokyo Graffiti
As the hip-hop movement became a global phenomenon, many Japanese youngsters adopted the culture as their own. The popularity of graffiti, as associated with hip-hop, has become a venue to relieve stress among people. However, graffiti in Japan is treated more than a crime. It is an aberration of behavior that will be punished severely. The proposed environment for graffiti is a semi-open gallery where graffiti artists can legally create removable artworks on surfaces covered by clear plastic wrap. The gallery is built to resemble abandoned buildings where graffiti can be rightfully appreciated.
​
Hanabi (Firework)
Dancing in Japan is not illegal, but club dancing is treated as a moral threat according to Japanese law, which was written in 1948. After the incident of police club raiding in 2012, clubbers in Tokyo now only bob their heads to the beat. No one dares to dance. I propose a club where creative dancing is introduced. The combination of traditional and club dancing allows people to have a good time without fear. It serves as a place where old and new generations come together to fill up the gaps and preserve the precious traditions of Japan.
 
The Rethinking Tokyo series is a hybrid of art and design, depicting visionary spaces of freedom in Tokyo, Japan.