Xref 2017 - Japan

japan ć—ĽćœŹ

country of islands opposite the Pacific a hope to explore

I hope to travel to Japan because it is a part of who I am. I am half-Japanese, but I have found that my knowledge of the country and culture is very limited.

Through this trip, I aspire to learn more about a place that defines part of my identity; I hope to do this by exploring the country through the lenses of culture, architecture, and nature.

Traveling to Japan is very close to my heart. It is a trip I have wanted to make since I was a child, and a place my grandmother always wanted me to visit.

Since she passed away just a few years ago, this trip is even more significant to me now. I believe it will be an experience that will shape who I am and open my eyes to new perspectives.

This trip is inspired by my grandmother. I was recently going through her photos, and I was amazed by the photographs she took while traveling in Japan. I hope to see the places she visited, so I can appreciate her adventures more and so I can tell my own children one day. This will be an experience that connects past, present, and future, allowing me to more deeply understand my identity and my roots. I imagine this trip as an opportunity to connect with my family who lives there, as well as the Japanese culture. I hope to fully experience the country through spending time with family, while also discovering what makes the country unique.

This trip will focus on family, culture, architecture, and nature; these are all areas I am very passionate about. Each part of my trip to Japan would relate to one or more of these areas, as they often overlap with one another. The map to the right illustrates how these themes relate to different locations in the country. Since Japan is only a little smaller than California, I hope to spend time in the cities where my family lives and to take a couple trips to other cities as well.

FAMILY CULTURE ARCHITECTURE NATURE

my grandma (right) & her sister in Japan, 1972

family/culture

miles separate hope to meet one another distant family

I see this trip as an introduction, a beginning. It will allow me to connect with my family, hopefully creating lifelong friendships. It will also give me a greater understanding of my family’s background.

I believe your history makes up an important part of who you are, so this trip would be an opportunity to deepen my understanding of my identity.

My grandmother’s sister, my great aunt, lives in Japan, along with her two daughters and their children; they live in the cities of Hiroshima and Saitama.

My great aunt is in her nineties and has lived in Japan for most of her life. The rest of my grandma’s family, including my grandma, grew up in California, so I hope that through this trip I can help to build a stronger connection between my family here and my family in Japan. Preparing for this XREF submittal has already been such a positive experience because I have been able to get in touch with my family in Japan and have begun to get to know them.

I believe time spent with my family will be a rich cultural experience because I will get to see how they live their daily lives. While I am in Japan, I also would like to spend a few days in Kyoto and other nearby parts of the country. I hope to see the rock garden at Ryoanji Temple, to stay at a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) and to see the Itsukushima Shrine (pictured above right). I am excited to spend time walking through the towns and cities, exploring new places.

architecture

intentional space balance of form and function buildings old and new

I have always greatly appreciated the beauty and intentionality of Japanese architecture. I love how spaces flow from one to another, and the seamless connection of natural elements to the built environment. I hope to explore both traditional and contemporary Japanese architecture. I hope to see places such as the Himeji Castle, Tadao Ando’s Church of Light, and the Katsura Imperial Villa.

I believe one of the best ways to learn and grow in design is by getting out and exploring the world. I plan to document what I learn about design, so I can share with my colleagues when I return.

nature

poetic landscapes of both mountains and forests paint the countryside

This trip will also be centered around the unique natural wonders of Japan. I would love to visit when the cherry blossoms are blooming in April. During this season, people gather beneath the trees for Hanami, a cherry blossom viewing party, something I hope to experience while I am there.

Along with seeing the flowering trees, I plan to visit the natural hot springs and hope to explore one of the national parks. The country has numerous natural areas to explore. Japan is made up of 6,852 islands with 4 major islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku.

Approximately 66% of the country is forest, and there are 9 forest ecoregions. I hope to experience both the wild beauty of a country located within a volcanic zone and the peaceful atmosphere of the manmade gardens.

As I have grown up, I have learned to appreciate the importance of family more and more every day. This trip would be an opportunity to preserve my family history, to build relationships, and to pass on these stories to others.

This would not solely be a trip for myself, but one I would be eager to share with my colleagues. I hope to absorb as much as possible while in Japan, so I can communicate what makes the country unique in respect to its culture, nature, and architecture. I believe I will gain knowledge in each of these areas that will be influential to my daily life.

I plan to keep a sketchbook throughout the trip where I will record my experiences, both through writing and drawing.

I plan to take photographs, as my grandmother did, to document the trip. I have inherited many of her cameras, so it would be amazing to bring some of those along. I would also like to record my experiences through a blog, so that people can share in what I am learning as I experience it.

When I get back, I hope to compile everything from the trip (sketches, notes, photos, etcetera) into a publication that I can share with others. I am excited for an opportunity to share what I learn with my friends, family, and colleagues because I truly believe this experience has the potential to be life-changing.

my grandma with her video camera

documentation

thank you for your consideration

about this XREF submittal: all of the photos included in this presentation are my grandmother’s photos from her trip to Japan in 1972 the poems included on the front of each page loosely follow the guidelines for Japanese haiku the gold edges of each page are a reference to Japanese artwork I have received