Metamorphosis
[日本語]
I feel that in the past few weeks since my last days in New York, I had undergone a metamorphosis, as someone mentioned. Somethings inside of me had awakened, and I found my voice again. I had been stomped down in New York while living there, for so long, and carried this with me when I moved to Japan. In my first year and 9 months in Japan, I was quietly observing, existing, and taking in the culture.
I returned from New York, incredibly reverse culture shocked. I was able to swim fast in the water that was New York, with my full intellectual power and linguistic ability, but got tired, fast.
In my last night, I recalled a dream from 2014 where I was walking in Tokyo and looked up at a building. It was so vivid, and I remember some of the detailing of the glass facade. So I decided to sketch it, and posted it on instagram. Because I was part of the social media circle of Pratt Institute architecture students, this image and writing somehow went viral.
章がなぜか viral になりました。
“We walked by a white frosted glass facade with a light grey matted stainless steel texture. The facade is all white and shiny. Bottom portion is clear, seamless glass, smooth silicone connections. A man walks by with a blue business shirt on and a car is in passing in front of the building. The atmosphere is a hazy shade of light blue. A typical day in the suburbs of Tokyo as the camera slowly pans in." I awake to the crisp air of a November morning in Brooklyn. Perhaps, a building of the future? Or already existent?”
(Dream Sketch, 2014)
I must admit that the hole within the building, and some of the formal moves were fake, imaginary recreations, as I could not fully remember what I saw in the dream. However, I do recall these metal tabs at the bottom and top of the curtain wall, that held the glazing tight together. I remembered, in my last sleepless night of lucid dreaming in Brooklyn two weeks ago, the kind of pants that I was wearing. A slightly swishy, water-wicking formal suit pants. And I remembered that this building was around the corner from a river..
So, in my first few days back in Japan, I was googling around the Sumida River, trying to find this building that I dreampt of, with no luck. I gave up, thinking that maybe one day, I would come across it.
Last weekend, there was an AIA Japan event, so I ended up googling the organization and came across the headquarters...which was located next to a river on the map. I quickly realized, that maybe this was the river I dreampt of. And as soon as I dropped the little street view man down, I found this building.
I believe this was the building I was dreaming about.
So, in my first few days back in Japan, I was googling around the Sumida River, trying to find this building that I dreampt of, with no luck. I gave up, thinking that maybe one day, I would come across it.
Last weekend, there was an AIA Japan event, so I ended up googling the organization and came across the headquarters...which was located next to a river on the map. I quickly realized, that maybe this was the river I dreampt of. And as soon as I dropped the little street view man down, I found this building.
I believe this was the building I was dreaming about.
Among other fushigi (mysterious) happenings, there were very strange things that happened last week. I felt as if my great great grandfather, Saito-san was with me in spirit. And I had returned back to Japan after being away for a very very long time. I wonder, if it could be true that when someone dies before their time is up, they can stay within this realm, and move around, from body to body? That is essentially, what a ghost is.
When buying my new glasses, I went into the Masunaga 1905 store in Omotesando. The lady had asked me, why I decided to buy glasses from there. And I replied that it is because I always liked the building when walking by, and buying an expensive pair of glasses was a worthy investment. She mentioned that the building was designed by a famous architect. And I asked, “だれ? (Who?)” She said, “The Architect’s name was Saito Makoto.”
Masunaga 1905 by Saito and Associates