Nihonbashi is the origin of all roads.

“17 years ago, the city council trusted me with their city planning.”

- City planning?
“Yes. Did you know that the bone structure of Japanese cities are all very frail? For example, poles: they’re just stuck in the ground so they all fall down in times of earthquakes. That’s exactly what happened in Miyagi in 2011. And the streets; they’re just covering up the surface with concrete. They say that bridges are more secure, but if you take a closer look, it’s like tofu inside.

So the urban planners, they are doing everything wrong from the water to the streets. Our lives are dependent on sunlight, water and plants. The plants turn CO2 into water. They grow fruits and nuts and vegetables. Corals are no exception. You might think concrete is the most unnatural thing possible but even that is made from dead corals. We live by spending other lives, especially plants. So you can’t separate the city from nature.”

- What is your final goal?
“To build a secure foundation beneath this river by putting together everyone’s money. If you take a look at Japan’s history, you’ll find that Japan has never been capable of correcting itself. Japanese people are behind when it comes to building our own cities. Everyone just thinks that the Emperor or the government will do it for us. So I want Japanese people to know that there’s a possibility of taking things into our own hands.”

- Then why have you been dedicated to Nihonbashi?
“Nihonbashi is the origin of all roads. This place has been the starting point of all city planning since the Edo era. If we can’t do it here, we can’t do it anywhere.”


（2013/12/2 Nihombashi）