JAS
Japan Architectural Studies
JAS?
JAS is an architectural workshop that bridges Japan and Scandinavia. Since 2015 we have been running the workshop “JaDAS (Japan and Denmark Architectural Studies),” which takes place in Denmark to make a collaboration work between Japan and Denmark. JAS conversely give the chance for scandinavian architectural students to visit Japan and learn Japanese society and architectural design by staying and committing to a local community. Let’s give an impact on the Japanese society with the scandinavian architectural design work!
Your learning
The program is to propose architectural solutions to a local community or municipality. You will not only think about the hard design (architectural outcome) but also the soft design (political outcome) in order to solve specific problems at the site. Divided into 3 or 4 groups, you will be working with Japanese students studying architecture or regional policy. So you will be willing to communicate with them beyond the language barrier. During the stay you will receive lectures or supervisions from several Japanese architects who are recently expanding their work internationally. You will also learn the general recent trend of the Japanese society in a rural area; the other side of Japan from Tokyo.
Applicant
10-15 students in 2nd Bachelor - 2nd Master
There is a language barrier between Japan and Nordic countries, but you will be willing to work together (There will be some staff who can support your group work).
If there are too many applications, we will select the participants. The selection will be made considering the diversity (gender, year, institute), although the first 8 applications will be prioritised no matter what.
Design Work
-Kunimi Town
Kunimi Town in Fukushima is located in the northernmost part of Fukushima. The town used to have 3 post-station towns and 2 main roads that penetrates north and south of the town. Today there still are different traffics, such as the Tohoku highway, JR Tohoku railway and JR Tohoku Shinkansen railway and a national road (Route 4), which makes possible to go to Tokyo in 2 hours and to Sendai in hour.
Kunimi Town has 9,300 inhabitants in the 37.9 km2 land. Among all the population 3,500 people are over 65 years old, meaning that 37% is the elderly. One of the forth of the whole population, about 1,950, is farmer. Among all the farmer, only 17 people are under 30 years old. The farmers are facing the problem to find their successors.
Affected by the east Japan earthquake happened in the east side of Fukushima in 2011, about 200 houses are collapsed, about 570 houses are partly collapsed and about 500 are damaged. The city office and other 650 public or commercial buildings were also collapsed, although the new city office has been constructed.
-Recent trend in Kunimi
Just 500m away from the new city office, the roadside station, which works as the service-supply hub, was inaugurated in 2017. It has grocery shops, restaurants and hotel rooms as well as a party hall, multipurpose spaces, a parenting support facility and the tourist centre. It is expected to function as the core of the Town, making the solidarity of the town and attracting the people from other cities.
In addition, Folkehøjskole, named Kunimi Højskole, will be inaugurated by renovating the old Japanese mansion situated 1.7 km away from the city centre. It will attract young people to stay in the town for a while and live as the inhabitants. It is expected to give young people an opportunity to experience the education that can only be provided in the town by utilising the resources in Kunimi.
-Kaida Village
Kaida Village is the historically formed village, since the first half of 1500’s, located outskirt from the city centre, 4 km away from the city office. The inhabitants are facing challenges to retain the village, as its population is decreasing dramatically. It has 300 inhabitants in 2015, decreasing from 460 in 1995. Both the natural reduction (death) and the social reduction (moving out of Kaida) has affected on this result, but the social reduction is the phenomenon that can be prevented. Some people, especially the elderly are moving to the city centre to obtain more convenient environment, and the younger generation move to bigger city out of Kunimi Town to look for better job opportunities.
Our task this year is to propose the design idea to maintain or even revitalise Kaida Village. How can we add the new value on this village, respecting its history? How can we make the architectural strategy to expect the long term change with the short term action? How can we use varied existing resources around the village in order to improve the life quality in Kaida as well as to spread the effect to larger part of Kunimi?
Through the communication with local people and field work, design the future of Kunimi and propose to the local people.
2018年日本人向けポスター
2019年日本人向けポスター
2018年ブックレット
2019年ブックレット
