Water

Japan is a nation rich in water, a precious resource which has shaped Japanese culture and lifestyles.

The array of beautiful phenomena water creates is an endless source of inspiration that influences designs today.

Explore the world of water and natural aesthetics.

Discover designs that weave water into a new future.

Today's guest is designer Tatsuno Shizuka.

Her product-centric design work is breathing new life into traditional crafts...

and turning heads both in Japan and around the world.

Hello. Welcome to Design Talks Plus, I'm, Andrea Pompilio.

Hi, I'm Shaula.

So our topic this time is "water."

Water... definitely one of the most important resources we have.

Today, apart from re-visiting our awareness, we'll explore its possibilities through design.

Tatsuno-san, welcome.

- Great to be here.
- It's a pleasure.

Our topic this time is "water."

Does this mean that you've done some design work on the subject?

Can you tell us about that?

Sure.

I never made a conscious decision to work with water specifically.

But one day I realized I'd been making all sorts of water-related products.

That inspired me to organize a solo exhibition with water as its theme.

Interesting.

Tatsuno's latest exhibition took place in Oi, Tokyo.

It's a downtown neighborhood near Tokyo Bay.

Water is a prominent presence throughout the area, including at shrines dedicated to water deities.

This relationship made it the perfect home for an exhibition themed around Tatsuno's "water" designs.

Tatsuno was first drawn to the beauty of water as a material.

Water is translucent.

It flows, and it also reflects light.

I realized that as a physical material, water is very appealing.

And of course water is a vital resource for human life.

I was drawn to it for a whole variety of reasons.

This piece is made from hand-blown glass.

It was designed around an abiding love for the beauty of water.

I want people to place it by their window where it will catch and reflect light from outside.

The surface will react to a breeze.

The water becomes a link between inside and outside.

I feel that we often take water for granted.

We often don't really take the time to look at it.

But by creating a vessel with the sole purpose of showcasing water, I'm hoping people will rediscover the beauty it has to offer.

This is a wooden mobile.

The design uses "kumiko," a traditional Japanese woodworking technique that uses no nails and is often seen in shoji paper screens.

The inspiration came from ripples on the surface of water.

Ripples move in a set rhythm.

But at the same time, they're also quite complex.

Kumiko is usually a two-dimensional construction.

Here, each slat is positioned 0.5 degrees from its neighbor, creating a slight curve.

As it rotates, the delicate wooden slats reveal subtle patterns of light and shadow.

Similar to the captivating ripples on the surface of water.

Other products focus on the flavor of water.

A water carafe made in collaboration with an Okayama bizen-ware pottery.

People say that if you pour water into bizen-ware and leave it overnight, the flavor of the water mellows.

I was fascinated by the power of ceramics to change water.

So the idea of the carafe is to fill it up with water and leave it by your bedside.

Then you wake up to better-tasting water.

Andy and Shaula explore Tatsuno's revelatory designs back in the studio.

So you've always been drawn to water in one guise or another.

Definitely.

Japan is lucky to have abundant water.

The quiet patter of light rain is so soothing.

It changes the atmosphere.

There's so many ways to experience water in this country.

Especially if you grow up here.

We have your water vessel in the studio today.

It's beautiful.

Isn't it?

The idea of a glass vessel only for water feels very Japanese to me.

So, the brand that made this works towards the concept of bringing Japanese craftsmanship to a global audience.

We got talking about designing an item that could help open people's minds.

That was how the idea first started.

I suddenly had this memory from way back in my childhood.

My mother would always fill this glass flowerpot with water and put it by the window.

Then she would admire the light refractions that played across the ceiling and over the floor.

She would do this every day.

- How elegant.
- That's lovely.

The strength of the light and the way it shimmered as the water moved - it all came back to me as we were talking.

I can imagine - I think most of us had a similar experience as children, right?

Exactly.

Finding beauty in familiar things is a wonderful experience.

Like spotting a flower by the road on your daily commute.

It gives you such a sense of wellbeing.

A single change of perspective develops into a recalibration of your worldview.

I really think that it enriches your world.

I agree.

I'm very interested in these items.

They're stools, but the design focus was the potential of this material.

I worked with a company that treats stainless steel.

These were part of a presentation by the firm.

They usually make the panels for elevator buttons.

Oh yes.

Stainless steel is very rigid and difficult to work with, but this company can do astonishing things with this material.

They do the finishing work?

Yes, the surface work.

If you look closely, you can see it's mirrored at the bottom, and then it slowly fades as it goes higher, losing any translucence.

That's a polishing technique which adds the gradations.

This one is called "Mist" because of that fogged appearance, and the other is "Rain" for the fine lines...

- Like falling rain.
- Yes.

The design was inspired by their techniques.

And also by water.

Water again!

And I didn't even realize!

A lot of the works on exhibition at the moment are somewhat abstract.

I took what I found particularly beautiful from a single phenomenon and then worked it into an abstract piece.

It has more breadth that way, and leaves room for the user to find their own connections.

I see, yes.

This carafe is wonderful too.

Oh, and it's full.

Yes.

May I?

- What a great sound!
- So inviting.

- Sound really matters, doesn't it?
- I love it.

It's just water, no alcohol!

And it's delicious.

It feels smoother.

It does - I wonder why.

It's fascinating.

And the shape really showcases the artisan's abilities.

Yes, it does.

Creating this shape on a wheel takes an enormous amount of skill.

I see.

And the cup is the perfect accent when it's closed.

Isn't it?

It really is. A real testament to Japanese craftsmanship.

Quite a collaboration.

What initially drew you to traditional crafts and techniques?

Was it one thing in particular?

So, I actually studied at a university in the UK.

But before I started my studies there, people told me that I'd need to be able to talk about Japan.

I'm sure.

Right!

So I began learning the Way of Tea, and other aspects of Japanese culture.

And actually living abroad gave me a new appreciation of Japanese craftsmanship.

Like the incredible precision required for the techniques, and how seriously artisans take their craft.

It's a new perspective.

- You found new beauty in it.
- Exactly.

That's right.

And at the same time, I heard about so many crafts dying out because there was nobody studying under these master artisans.

So I thought I'd go into design and work with these crafts.

- I see.
- That's wonderful.

Now let's look at water in spatial design.

The city of Kanazawa in Ishikawa prefecture lies on Japan's west coast.

It has a long history and deep-rooted culture.

It was the birthplace of Buddhist philosopher D. T. Suzuki.

He spent his life studying Zen Buddhism, and also spent time in the US.

He's credited for having introduced Zen and Eastern philosophy in English to a Western audience.

Today, a museum showcases Suzuki's ideas and life.

It was designed by international architect Taniguchi Yoshio.

The garden space was built around a camphor tree from near Suzuki's childhood home.

The layout allows visitors to explore the space while pursuing their own thoughts and ideas.

Visitors emerge from the corridors to find this water garden.

The geometric structure mirrored in the water invites visitors to the Contemplative Space.

Director Kimura Sensho is also a Buddhist priest and scholar.

He says the gardens and space reflect the spirit of D. T. Suzuki.

Quiet, serene. D. T. Suzuki
enjoyed these states.

This space is empty.

If we filled it with exhibits,
we'd inevitably compare them.

Large, small.
Interesting, dull.

We tend to separate things
and focus on their differences.

Suzuki offered a perspective
that transcended relativity.

Realizations we grasp independently
are the only surety.

We'd like people to experience
D. T. Suzuki's perspective here.

Water rippling in serenity.

Gazing across the surface opens up a dialogue with nature.

Water always finds its own level.

Regardless of us or its
container, it finds its level.

It changes its form to fit
its vessel, round or square.

Without our interference, water
always moves from high to low.

Nothing else is natural.
It doesn't follow nature.

Even the slightest breeze creates ripples, accentuating the flow of time.

A water mirror that reflects the natural world exactly as it is.

It only shows us what's there.

In fall, we seek out the crimson
leaves, or only notice the willows.

But water shows everything.
It doesn't discriminate.

I feel it's a true representation
of "mushin," of no-mindedness.

Buddhism isn't about
exercising control.

It isn't about categorization.

We could all learn new ways
of being through this water.

I'd love to visit!

Definitely.

Especially that comment about seeking control...

Yes.

It made me reexamine my own thoughts on that.

What a fascinating space.

Thought-provoking.

That was such an enlightening piece of wisdom!

Wasn't it?

The idea of loving each season just as it is, without trying to control or focus too tightly on any one particular aspect of its beauty.

Listening to him talk, I felt the space emanated such a strong love for water and the natural world.

Something we can all share, whatever our background or culture.

Absolutely.

Water really is universal.

And when we find ways to keep it close to us, to make it a part of our own spaces, I think it has the potential to inspire us in all kinds of ways.

A vital part of life, in every way.

You were saying earlier that you learned the Way of Tea before university in the UK.

I did.

I've been studying it for nearly 20 years now.

So you kept it up?

I did, yes.

And this is something that connects back to our earlier conversation.

The tea ceremony is very much about total dedication to the fleeting moment.

Not trying to control or hold it.

There's a very strong thread of Zen philosophy in the Way of Tea.

For one thing, it requires a pot of boiling water in the room.

The very sound of the water as it heats has a name.

It's called "shofu," or "wind in the pines."

The sound of boiling?

Interesting!

It's a soft sshhhh sound, and part of the ceremony is noticing and enjoying the moment it happens.

Truly living in the moment.

Exactly.

We use both hot and cold water for tea ceremonies.

Did you know that they actually sound different when they're poured?

Really?

It's subtle, but noticeable.

I really enjoy honing my senses to try and pick up on these small moments and changes.

It's the perfect setting to do that.

I had no idea, how interesting!

I really do feel an affinity with that idea of relinquishing control.

I think it's a very important concept.

Recently, I've also started making an artwork around the idea.

An artwork, not a product?

Yes.

I'm using natural plant dyes.

I drop the colors into candy to create various sculptures.

Both the candy and the plants change color over time.

So each time you see them, it's a unique experience that can't ever be replicated.

Something that will never happen again.

Right.

I wanted to create something that allowed me to celebrate fleeting moments like that.

And designing all of these products has really awoken a desire to dive a little deeper and explore those worlds further.

So you can imagine why the curator's interview really resonated with me!

Absolutely.

Finally, a high-tech water infrastructure design.

Water is a vital resource.

One new design is looking to revolutionize our water infrastructure.

The world's smallest portable water recycling plant.

It automatically treats over 98% of all household wastewater on the spot so the water can be instantly reused.

It's a truly groundbreaking water system.

It was developed by Maeda Yosuke who began researching water treatment in high school.

After studying urban infrastructure at university, he established his own startup.

It is predicted that by 2030, 40% of the world's population won't have enough water - a problem Maeda is trying to solve.

The amount of water the
current human population needs...

...already outstrips the available
clean water on the planet.

There's not enough water.
So we need to recycle it.

Let's make water infrastructure
as personal as smartphones.

The system is simple.

It needs only a water tank and a shower to function.

Water dirtied by soap or detergent is checked for contaminants by sensors and an AI in real time.

The water is automatically run through several advanced filters, treated with chlorine, and UV sterilized to produce clean, potable water.

Finally, the water returns to the tank, ready to be reused.

Maeda designed his system around ease-of-use.

He hopes to create a new type of water infrastructure that's both small and decentralized.

Humans have never really designed
our own water infrastructure.

We've just pushed it out of sight.

We don't know where our water
comes from or how it's cleaned.

I want our work to bring
that connection closer.

Unlike large purification systems, no extra plumbing is needed.

It can be deployed quickly and affordably anywhere with access to electricity, including remote areas and developing regions.

For disaster-prone Japan, water is often a key challenge in evacuation centers.

Water infrastructure is often the last to be restored.

Maeda has distributed his product to such centers around Japan.

The 2018 floods had people enduring
dirty conditions in evacuation centers.

Disasters cause breakages in the
water system almost every year.

Thousands, tens of thousands
of families are affected.

They may have drinking water.

But they have no water for
laundry or bathing for weeks.

But there's water in the local
swimming pool.

So I asked, why not use
that water for bathing?

They said there's no privacy
for people to take warm showers.

Or the water is weeks old
and we can't guarantee it's clean.

Water's right there but it won't
be used until we find a solution.

Even when the water's there.

The same water recycling technology has applications for public hygiene during the pandemic.

It was used to build hand-washing stands with integrated smartphone sterilization slots.

A redesign of our relationship with water and the environment promises a bright future for water infrastructure.

At the heart of the water problem...

...is that people don't think we can
design water. Of course we can.

Every home should be
recycling its own water.

That's the world we're building.

That's our outlook on nature.

So we can recycle the same water within a single home.

An incredible system.

Japan is rich in water resources, so I think a lot of us here flush the toilet more than we need to, or let the tap run a little.

It's easy to be wasteful, isn't it?

Definitely.

I think that in Japan, we hear the word "recycling," and the first thing we all think of is plastic, or aluminum cans.

Recycling for us is synonymous with trash.

But of course, water needs to be recycled too.

It's a very simple realization, but an important one.

I agree.

It's truly revolutionary.

One thing that really impresses me is the sheer energy it takes for someone to develop and produce something like that.

Extraordinary.

It does give me hope for Japan's future.

Yes, I think this could play a key role in futures everywhere - not just Japan.

It's a global problem, after all.

From summer droughts to climate change.

There are all sorts of factors causing us to lose our water resources fast.

I think the global scale drives home just how vital a resource water is.

Absolutely.

We've explored a lot of different ideas through the lens of design today.

What did you think of this topic?

It's given me a new appreciation for just how much there is to explore when it comes to water and design.

I know I'll be thinking about our discussion over the next few days.

There are so many potential facets to discover.

How it enriches our emotional lives, for example.

How it's a vital part of our survival.

I've been reminded about how much value there is in having an understanding of water.

We really did cover some great topics today!

I'm so glad!

I think it's really wonderful to have an opportunity to explore a topic in such depth.

I've been inspired to renew my focus on water!

We look forward to seeing how the field plays out into the future, and to seeing more of your work!

It's been a wonderful discussion today, thank you.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.