DESIGN MUSEUM JAPAN

Otsu, Shiga Prefecture

What does design mean to you?

The ability to perceive beauty is an important human trait.

And design is a way of sharing beauty with others.

Nagayama visits Sakamoto, in Otsu. Outside the station is a stone wall.

It's my first time seeing this close-up.

It's so intricate.

Anoshu, a group of stonemasons, is based here.

It employs skills passed down through 400 years and 15 generations.

When building walls, we use natural stone, without processing.

Anoshu walls
Natural stones are stacked together.
This method for making strong walls
has been passed down orally.

Since they're natural, no two stones are the same.

Different stone is available in different locations.

Each time, we carefully consider how to use the materials available.

Nagayama notices something.

You often place large stones in the corners.

Structurally, the corners are crucial.

We use larger stones to add strength. The corners are truly a key element.

Next, Nagayama spots small stones in the gaps.

Some are loose, and can be pulled out.

Small stones are just as important as the bigger ones.

Japan is earthquake-prone, and we have to take that into account.

If a wall is too rigid, it will be torn apart.

The space between the stones absorbs pressure and hinders collapse.

In the long term, the gaps unique to the natural stones play a vital role.

Nagayama discovers a large stone stacked in an unusual way.

It's placed at an angle. Was the mason trying to convey something?

That's probably the case.

I'd prefer to keep it straight. This is less stable.

Yes, it tapers down at the bottom.

It may seem like a risky choice, but the mason must have been confident!

Anoshu's method developed out of necessity.

But it's not just functional. It's seeking to convey beauty.

Back then, individuality was visible, in architecture and elsewhere.

It's important to draw out each person's unique qualities.

Seeing the stone walls today has brought that home to me.