A tour to Japan for a London patron group offered a wonderful and varied insight into the complexities of Japan, ranging from the starkly modern to the old-school traditional.
Highlights of the former included visits to the extraordinary Enoura Observatory, founded by noted contemporary photographer and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto to promote Japanese culture and aesthetics on an international level. The islands of Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima in the Seto Inland Sea have acquired pilgrimage status with their remarkable site-specific art installations by leading Japanese and international artists, including several buildings designed by Tadao Ando and works by James Turrell, Lee Ufan, and Ryue Nishizawa.
Kyoto offered a change of pace, with special visits to the house and studio of Kawai Kanjiro, noted early 20th-century Japanese potter and key figure in the mingei (folk craft) movement; the atelier of Kondaya Genbei, renowned for the exquisite obi’s they have been designing since the 1730s; and Ginkaku-ji, where the gardens designed by the great 16th century landscape artist Sōami are considered to represent the height of temple garden design in Japan.