pele SciaSction - new media

JAPAN
Culture As A Visual Display of Delight
Japan is a long thin island, nearly 75 percent of whose signs fill the cityscape at night and numerous small
terrain is rugged and mountainous and virtually restaurants and Japanese shops spill out into the streets.
uninhabitable. Approximately 15 percent is devoted to
Dramatic and colorful paper lanterns sway in the breeze
agriculture, leaving only about 10 percent for people to
in front of shops and paper lanterns are hung in front of
actually live on. Almost 126 million people live in Japan.
restaurants signifying the specialty within. Exciting and
Amazingly long and skinny, there is only 200 miles that stimulating, Japan offers a treasure trove of everextends
at the widest point and nearly 1800 miles from unfolding surprises and discoveries!
north to south. The result is an amazing range of weather
Japan is a pallet of visual texture from red tori gates to a
conditions, from snow bound winters in the north to submeticulously
raked Zen garden and delicate molded
tropic summers in the south.
Japanese candy. From architecture to the presentation of
As seen on the map of Japan, there are four main islands food, the Japanese approach to design has historically
which are; Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku and been linear and asymmetrical, with texture and elements
over 3900 smaller islands. Mountains, rivers and seas deeply emphasized creating a visual display of depth and
break up the country into hundreds of small regions and variety.
micro climates making the land infinitely varied.
Scores of tori gates (shinto shrine archway gates)
Fast paced, energetic and busy, the city streets of Japan dramatically compel the eyes and spirit to travel through
rarely seems to rest. Tokyo, the official capital of Japan them.
since 1868 has nearly 12 million people covering
The rocks of the Zen stone garden emulate islands in a
approximately 800 square miles.
sea of gravel, as the sand is laid out in a ripple like wave
In contrast, Japanese lifestyle is very reserved from its effect.
quiet and uncluttered interiors to its simplistic form of arts
Walls, fences, gates and glazed ceramic japanese roof
- where less is often considered more. However, the
tiles create a visual landscape of texture and architecture.
modern city streets are quite the paradox. Flashing neon
OPEN TRADE 37
Oct-Dec 2007