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Raffaele Pernice
Abstract
This paper analyzes and considers the main features of the Japanese avant-garde movement Metabolism
that appeared on the scene of the architectural world in the early 60s. The originality of the concepts developed
by its members and the innovative design of their projects captured the attention of many critics, in Japan as
well as abroad, who often either misunderstood or neglected most of the original theories of the group. Therefore,
it seems that further analysis could be necessary to clarify some points of metabolist groups activity, and to
reach a better understanding of the historical context in which Metabolism has originated and developed, as
well as of its aims.
Introduction century.
More than 40 years have passed since the Metabolist All these themes are still topics of great importance,
Movement was promoted worldwide. By now the both for Japan and for the new developing countries,
memory of this group of architects, in Japan as well as especially for those countries that, for economical and
in the rest of the world, is a bit dimmed, both as the historical reasons can share some linkage with Japan,
events that saw them are distant in the time, and as many such as the Far East Asia (China, Korea, Malaysia, etc)
of the early members have moved away, although never that at the moment are moving fast to a similar
rejecting all the principles completely, from the original unprecedented prosperity, and whose situation is similar
themes and the theories that were the basis of their from many points of view to that of Japan of the 60s.
proposals in architectural and urban design. Furthermore
a new generations of brilliant architects have spread Historical Background
in the recent years in Japan, moving the main interest The analysis of the events that can be traced since the
of the architectural world to the current New dawn of the Metabolism shows that it coincided with
Japanese wave, contributing to the acceleration of the the period of the fastest development of Japanese nation
process of oblivion and separation from those years. ever, and it spread in the span of a decade, when Japan
In spite of the natural process of inevitable change reached the two targets of the economic recovery after
that occurs to ideas through the years, some central ideas the defeated in the Pacif ic War, and the off icial
developed by Metabolism are extremely peculiar: first recognition as an effective member of the developed
of all was the relevant issue of how to connect the world previously only driven by western countries.
Japanese traditional culture (that is a true Asian Japan during all the decade of the 60s was the stage
culture) to the new imported Western models; then the of international events that helped in his promotion
necessity to further blend modernity with the broad abroad. The first of these events was also the
heritage of the national culture and create springing board for the launch of the Metabolist Group
a built environment that could also promote the and was the World Design Conference held in Tokyo in
harmonization and foster the cooperation of the 1960. Others were the Tokyos Olympic Games in
different and various aspects of the contemporary 1964, and the last was the Osaka Expo in 1970.
society; and last but not least, how to structure the During the 50s Japan was striving hard to rebuild the
development of the cities in an age of huge and fast country and recover the wounds of the war in which the
urbanism, driven by a spectacular economic growth, country was defeated. The central government stressed
consequence of the massive industrialization the importance of empowering the economy, thus the
accomplished at the turn of the second half of the XX enhancement of the industrial system became the priority
*Contact Author: Raffaele Pernice, PhD candidate, Graduate of national policy and the continuous improvement of
School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University. Home the production became a sort of imperative for the entire
Address: Via Pasqualigo 61, Mestre-Venezia, 30173 ITALY Japanese population. The 50s were decisive years for
Tel:+39.041.534.8362 e-mail:raffaeleitaly@yhoo.com the future of modern Japan for many reasons. When
(Received March 1, 2003 ; accepted July 1, 2004 ) Japan regained independence from the US occupation
International criticism
The World Design Conference in Tokyo, whose main
theme was the visual communication and joined
together graphic design and environmental design
expertsxi, was an occasion for the public presentation of Fig.5. Octa-dwelling over the city by Ekuan, 1965 (collage)
the Manifesto of Metabolism, published at their authors'
expenses, and the final stage of a series of two years
long informal meetings held by the members of the group During the 50s the interest for the Japanese
since 1958. architecture and art was high, and fruitful contacts
From the very beginning, the projects promoted by the between architects and designers were frequent. Walter
Metabolist architects caught the attention of Gropius, who visited Japan in 1954, as a guest of Tange,
the western audience and the success of invited all the young architects to ...forget Rome and
their futuristic and highly technological come to Japan!17. The issue of national identity, due to
visions was, as stated before, so strong that some of the traumatic changes occurred in Japan during the
these projects were invited (first Japanese ever) at previous years (the war, the economic recovery), became
the international exhibition at MoMA in New York. the most fundamental for Japanese people during those
The international recognition of Metabolism Group years. The necessity to protect the traditional values of
as the most important avant-garde movement in Japan the past from the threats of the fast transformations of
dated from the first moment of its appearance, and since modernization (after surviving the destruction of the war)
then Japan entered officially in the main stream of stimulated and spread a new interest for the traditional