November 26, 2008 | Broadcast News

Taking a structural stance on culture - Keisuke Okada, Japan Times

It was at the groundbreaking ceremony of Osaka’s Breeze Tower in the spring of 2006 that architect Yuichiro Edagawa met a German woman by the name of Sybille Fanelsa and happened to tell her about his cherished plan to publish a photo book that would introduce the splendor of Japanese culture and tradition to a world-wide audience.

Fanelsa, who is firstly a curator, was attending the ceremony as the public relations manager for the German architectural design studio that had collaborated with Edagawa’s company in designing the building. Impressed by Edagawa’s passion, Fanelsa promised to give him her support. She also, as it would happen, was well-connected in the publishing world.

For the next two years, Edagawa’s main objective became finding the time and the means to juggle his project and his work as principal architect and general manager in Osaka at one of the top three architectural and engineering design offices in Japan — Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Inc., a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Estate Co.

He utilized most of his weekends and holidays for photography trips throughout Japan and wrote the book’s text whenever he had time before and after work.

… Said Edagawa, “It is my humble hope that readers will be able to feel, through my book, something of the good of Japan.”

More information on Edagawa and the story of his book from The Japan Times

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5ft Creatives (also affectionately known as FiveFootWay) is an independent, ideas company based in Singapore that is committed to the advancement of innovative positions in architecture.