Up-and-Coming Architects Offer a Beacon of Hope in Tsunami-Torn Japan
At 2:36 p.m. on that snowy Friday in March 2011, the earthquake hit. The 9.1-magnitude force was enough to move Japan’s main island 7.9 feet to the east and trigger walls of water estimated at 38 meters tall—the height of a 12-story building. Within minutes, thousands of lives were lost, thousands more were suddenly without shelter, and the nation was in the middle of a nuclear disaster.
A 15th-generation Japanese fisherman, Hiroshi Shirakawa grew up hearing tales of huge earthquakes and tsunamis of the past. After his house shook for six minutes on that Friday, he knew what would happen next and sought higher ground.
In the coming weeks and months, the world rallied to help. One of Japan’s most influential designers, Toyo Ito, also wanted to do his part. While he could not solve some of the biggest challenges, he had an idea: what if he could bring together fellow peers and design a response with architecture? Amidst the emptied-out spaces he saw a need and opportunity to rebuild public spaces—central gathering points where communities could reconnect and seek support as they figured out what to do next. He called the organization Home For All.
Shirakawa lives in the small fishing community of Oya, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Here and across Japan, acres of temporary houses were set up to replace the 250,000 homes that were destroyed.
Now a board member at Home For All, Astrid Klein of Klein Dytham Architects first worked with Ito when she arrived in Japan 30 years ago. She was inspired by his latest idea and knew that it would serve an important healing purpose. "In a time of tragedy, people need to get together, hug each other, talk it out, and feel like they are not alone." Yet, within the clusters of temporary housing set up by the Japanese government, a place for everyone to gather was missing.
Responses to the earthquake include new evacuation routes, better emergency notification alerts, as well as the planting of black pine seedlings to create an organic barrier between the ocean and land. Here, a look at another solution: concrete walls to hold back the water—some 245 miles of them.
As Ito went searching for more volunteers, a member of his staff and rising star, Michiko Okano, immediately raised her hand. Yet, she couldn’t imagine where the journey would take her. Visiting the Tohoku region two months later, the devastation shook her. "Until the tsunami, architecture was something I made to give people hope. But in this case architecture hurt people. The debris became a weapon," she says.
Locals were suspicious of outsider architects, but Okano and others persisted. She surveyed communities, met with them, and asked what kinds of materials they wanted her to use. She even volunteered her weekends to plant rice and build trust.
Okano’s entire approach to design changed after witnessing the aftermath. Previously, she worked in a contemporary style, prioritizing a separation from the outside with sharply defined interior spaces. Yet, through this experience, she also came to understand the importance of a built environment that fosters an attunement with nature rather than shutting it out. "Now I want to create comfort without such a clear separation between inside and outside," she says.
Okano leaned on new insights in her Home For All designs. The spaces were intended to meet the needs of each community while helping them stay connected with each other and their surroundings.
At Arc’teryx, we are a group of designers, perfectionists, makers, and outdoor-lovers. For a series of new stories, we sought out problem solvers who are leaning into challenges and creating new possibilities. Learn more about the other stories at arcteryx.com/explore/problem-solvers.
"Everything has an effect. When something is made strong, something else becomes weak. Residents near barrier walls can no longer see the ocean or feel its connection."
Up and down Northeastern Japan, Okano and her colleagues designed unique public pavilions with strong indoor-outdoor connections, built with debris or donated materials. Some structures were conceived as play spaces for neighborhood children, while others provided local farmers with a new place to sell their vegetables.
This building in Sōma, Japan, was designed to resemble a large straw sun hat held aloft by trees. The project was a joint partnership between Toyo Ito & Associates and Klein Dytham architecture.
Other designs utilized traditional wagoya architecture, a post-and-lintel joinery technique sometimes constructed without nails. Residents also preferred sun-lit structures made with wood or other natural materials.
While walls might not offer much protection against disaster, a strong sense of community and connection with nature can. "Architecture can provide places for people to gather on a daily basis. Ultimately, that might prove much more helpful when disaster strikes," Okano adds.
"I feel like I was saved by Home for All," says Okano. "Everyone lost loved ones and houses and they were hurt, but there was also a kind of human strength in the survivors. I was taught that strength myself."
Arc’teryx specializes in technical, high-performance apparel, outerwear and equipment, to enable deeper connections with Nature. Design is our way forward. Make it yours.
For more information, visit the Arc’teryx website.
Published
Last Updated
Topics
Design NewsGet the Pro Newsletter
What’s new in the design world? Stay up to date with our essential dispatches for design professionals.