PROFILE

Description

Description

Design Producers, Directors, Curators and Editors exert a significant influence on design, even if they do not directly design themselves.
Yasuhiro Hamano made a spectacular appearance in 1968 as the man behind the psychedelic disco "MUGEN". In the more than 50 years since then, he has made forward-looking proposals in a wide range of fields, from design, lifestyle and culture, urban development, the natural environment, fashion and film. For example, "Tokyu Hands", which spread the joy of DIY; "FROM 1st", which had a decisive impact on the development of the Aoyama area; Roppongi AXIS and the "AXIS magazine", which continue to transmit the value of design; and "QFRONT", which shaped the landscape of the Shibuya crossing, which has become one of Japan's most popular tourist spots, are all epoch-making projects undertaken by Hamano and continue to exert a significant influence today. In addition to these activities, Hamano has also worked on a nature school for children, a proposal for landscape regulation in Bali, and published more than 80 books, including "Simplicity Revolution" (1971), "Fashion Geografiti : Mandala of Manners and Custom around the World" (1981), "Age of Casual Clothing" (1981), "Age of We" (1993) and "Working Style Revolution" (2009).
In particular, the AXIS project, and in particular the launch of the design magazine "AXIS", shows Hamano's visionary approach to design and lifestyle culture. In the introduction to the first issue, Hamano wrote: "Design is clearly something that should be rooted in everyday life. Life and design, design for life, design for everyday life, nature and people, design for nature. ...... Axis wishes to propose a very serious alternative to design and life".
Hamano has always distanced himself from the mainstream and continues to explore and propose alternatives, moving back and forth between his own thinking and action, work and play, and the natural and man-made. Such principles of action have driven his designs forward. Here, we asked Hamano, who spends his free and limitless daily life in Tokyo, Okinawa, Shiga, Kyoto and Hawaii, about his footsteps and the Design Museum.

Masterpiece

Masterpiece

Produce

"MUGEN" Akasaka, Tokyo（1968）／"ASTROMECHANICOOL" Umeda, Osaka（1968）／"FROM 1st" Omodesando, Tokyo（1975）／"Tokyu Hands" Fujisawa, Kanagawa Futakotamagawa, Tokyo Shibuya, Tokyo（1976〜78）／"Rose Garden"( architectural design: Tadao Ando)Kobe, Hyogo（1977）／"AXIS" Roppongi, Tokyo（1981）／"Kobe Port Island Expo Kobe Portopia 81" Kobe, Hyogo（1981）／"Kawagoe Ichiban Shopping Street" Kawagoe, Saitama（1986）／"Arte Yokohama"( architectural design: Michael Graves) Yokohama, Kanagawa,（1987）／"The International Garden and Greenery Exposition" (Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications + NTT Pavilion) Tsurumi, Osaka（1990）／"Patagonia flagship store"(architectural design: Koh Kitayama) Harajuku, Tokyo（1997）／"QFRONT" Shibuya, Tokyo（1999）／"hhstyle.com"(architectural design: Kazuyo Sejima) Omotesando, Tokyo（2000）／"Karuizawa Creek Garden"(architectural design: Ryosuke Yamamoto) Karuizawa, Nagano（2005）／"AO"(architectural design: Sakakura Associates, Nihonsekkei) Omotesando, Tokyo（2009）

Films

" SAKANAKAMI " Director, Performer（2013）／"TETON" Director, Producer, Performer（2016）／"KARANUKAN" Director, Author（2017）／Japan-Taiwan co-production film "COUNTRY DREAMER My Way, My Life! " Producer, Director（2018） Hollywood, Family Film Award for Best Director／"The days of Chinggis Khan's life in the steppes and mountains and rivers of gentleness" Produced, Director, Starring（2020）

Main publications

"Fashionization Society" Business-sha（1970）／"Simplicity Revolution" Business-sha（1971）／"People Come Together" Kodansha（1974）／"Fashion Geografiti : Mandala of Manners and Custom around the World" Kobe Shimbun Jigyosha（1981）／"Age of Casual Clothing" Business-sha（1981）／"Concept & Work" Shotenkenchiku-sha（1981）／"Where People Play" Kodansha（1984）／"Corporate Excutives’ View of Design" Kodansha（1985）／"Sakanakami(God of Fish) " TBS Britanica（1986年）／"Declaration of Playful Business" TBS Britanica （1987）／"Guide to Emotion" Tokyu Agency（1990）／"Age of We" Tokyu Agency（1993）／"The Dimensions of Service" Diamond（1995）／"Digital City" Diamond（1998）／"Architecture Producer" Kajima Institute Publishing（2000）／"TEAM HAMANO&PROJECTS" Hamano Institute（2001）／"New Simplicity Revolution" Demadosha（2003）／"People Who Grow from 35, and Others Who Stop" PHP（2005）／"Working Style Revolution" PHP（2009）／"Living Your Life to the Fullest Makes You a Master of Life" Diamond（2017）／" Jiyu Mugen (FREE & MUGEN)" Shuei-sha, Hamano Institute （2021）

Interview

Interview

Design minded history and lifestyle town
; Living History Museum

Unwavering theme: MUGEN = Infinity = Dreamscape

ー　In 2021, Mr. Hamano published his book "Jiyu Mugen (FREE & MUGEN)" as a commemoration of his 80th birthday. This book is truly an archive of your work. Now, Mr. Hamano is also known for MUGEN, a disco that opened in Akasaka in 1968. It had a tremendous impact on the music, dance, fashion, and art of the time, and we believe it set the tone for your subsequent activities. Could you tell us about this concept?

Hamano　“MUGEN" opened in Akasaka in May 1968, and for 20 years was the longest-running disco in Japan's history. At that time, the word "disco" was not yet coined, so I used the term "go-go club." It was a super club where people danced around to the music of a live band, and it was originally a very exclusive club called "Caesars Palace”. The entrance facing the street was narrow, and we decided to keep it because of its unique interior, which was decorated with gorgeous chandeliers, Roman sculptures, and descended to the third basement floor in total darkness after passing through a neon-colored mural painted on a long staircase with a secretive atmosphere. The owner of that building trusted me completely and said, "You can do whatever you want. He told me, "You can do whatever you want, whether you destroy the original store or use it as is, do whatever you want and make it an interesting place. At the time, I had seen with my own eyes the rock 'n' roll halls of New York's East Village and London's Covent Garden, and I felt that environmental art (environmental art), which was becoming mainstream in the art world, and music could merge to provide a means of transcending the realm. I made unlimited use of it within myself. I wanted to create a worldview that would enter not only the sense of touch and sight, but also the human psyche, and "MUGEN" was an expression of a sensory world that transcended the digital world using analog methods at a time when the digital world had nothing to do with the digital world we know today. For example, the use of large strobes, such as those used at airfields, to create a floor was new. Japan had been restricting everything and such things were too avant-garde or unacceptable, and the advance reviews were scattered, but the opening was attended by Kenzo Tange, Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, Seiji Ozawa, Arata Isozaki, Kishin Shinoyama, and Tadanori Yokoo ....... The opening was a riot of people dancing around. I told youn people that it was a space for adults, so they could come, but they should come dressed with a proper sense of fashion, and in return, I decided that adults should not come dressed in work clothes like business suits or “Mama-san (bar proprietress)” in kimonos.

ー　Were there a lot of spatial tricks?

Hamano　We had a psychedelic mural painted in fluorescent colors on the entire wall from the entrance of MUGEN to the basement, so that as one descended the staircase, which floated with black light, one could gradually hear the sounds and feel the mood rising. On the second-floor landing of the atrium, a boutique selling flashy miniskirts was created, and the pitch-black walls of the disco were covered with stretch fabric. At the time, we couldn't find stretch fabric, so we got the whole raw fabric from an underwear manufacturer and made it. We installed an overhead projector there and could show movies and slides, and we also projected kinetic art as a stage direction. The space itself became psychedelic as it projected a shimmering liquid of diverse colors, which was then illuminated by strobe lights. I think it worked because we kept the very ornate pieces that were in the original store, but we were bold enough to modify them. It was a different twist from creating a space from scratch.

ー　Did you propose these various ideas, and were they realized with the participation of creators?

Hamano　The main movers were the employees of Hamano Product Laboratory, but the central creator was the late Harumi Fujimoto, a lighting director known as "Peko-chan. She was connected with musicians all over the world. She was especially known for her work on the lighting for the famous "Crazy Horse Saloon," a cabaret in France. It was just at the time when Parisian fashion was switching from haute couture to mode, and I was also working to bring some couturiers to Japan, and Peko-chan was creating artistic lighting on stage. I was hanging out with young creators on the King's Road in London and was thinking about doing something interesting in Japan. I was working with Issey Miyake, Makiko Minagawa, and others.

Creation by hand without relying on technique

ー　In the 1960s, you used cutting-edge psychedelic techniques such as "MUGEN," for example, to create heart-thumping spatial effects, but today we are seeing more and more similar digital expressions. Do you feel there are any differences?

Hamano　I think it is completely different. Nowadays, a wide variety of technologies have evolved, so anything is possible. For example, strobe-like effects are possible even without strobe equipment, and digital signage is becoming easier and easier. However, the primitive urge to create is disappearing. It is an intense impulse that is conveyed to the viewer, but overly technical digital staging is, in my opinion, a disheartening element. Yes, it is beautiful. But even if you make it snow with light or show images of a storm, it is no match for the coldness of real snow or the strength of the wind, which is why artists try to communicate through expression, and I think technology is too much on display these days. Looking back on my work, in 1999 I comprehensively produced and opened the "QFRONT" building in Shibuya (now entirely used by TSUTAYA), where a huge 450-square-meter screen was installed on the interior side, making it possible for the first time to project images toward the Shibuya scramble crossing. When we applied for a fire permit, it was such an unprecedented attempt that even the person in charge was baffled, saying, "Hamano has proposed something strange again". To persuade them, I explained, "That is the same as indoor lighting," and emphasized that it was through a glass window. But now, they can already install large screens in certain city blocks. Conversely, they've been spoiled by the fact that we can now do it. QFRONT" was new to us because we had been fighting on the edge under severe restrictions, and it continues to be a building that symbolizes the scramble crossing. In other words, it was a time when "MANIAWASE (makeshift)" was not possible. It was a time when you had to fight seriously to express yourself, and that is what you were able to do. Simply repeating the same old thing over and over again is not going to move you. I have always insisted on creating things by hand, one by one.

ー　Speaking of creating with your hands, your book "The Frugal Revolution" (Business, Inc.), published in 1971, was a bestseller. That is where the "Tokyu Hands" project began, didn't it?

Hamano　"Tokyu Hands" was born from the concept of "restoration of hands". Tokyu Land Corporation was having trouble selling the land in Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, which it had purchased at a high price, and was considering a commercial complex that would house tenants. It was Mr. Noboru Goto, the general manager of the Tokyu Group, who finally accepted my concept and decided on the name "Tokyu Hands".
Times have changed, however, and "Tokyu Hands" has gradually become lazy and less suggestive, and has taken on a department store look, but I am wondering how far I can go in order to readjust once again. I am now considering how far I should go in order to readjust once again, and whether or not I can get in. I feel that the field of design has expanded too much, technology has expanded too much, and because of this, creators and buyers alike have become increasingly lost. The art continues to get more expensive and the values are a mess. However, I would like to see an era in which design is once again free and unlimited. It is with this in mind that I titled my recent book "Jiyu Mugen" (Freedom Infinite).

From Fashion to the City and Environment

ー　"FROM 1st", which defined the urban development of Aoyama, is also one of your masterpieces, isn't it ?

Hamano　The building was completed in 1975. "FROM 1st" was built by me in Omotesando, an extension of Harajuku, and the city was transformed. The success of the project can be attributed to the fact that it was created by thinking about the city from the perspective of actual living and thoroughly utilizing the talents of architect Kazumasa Yamashita. As soon as the building was completed, Mr. Issey Miyake rented it. During the design process, the plan was for our office to use the top floor, but we were told by a neighboring elementary school that a taller building would be problematic, so we reduced the number of floors by two. For this reason, the penthouse above was rented by Mr. Issey. It was the first store that Mr. Issey returned to Japan from his training abroad and finally decided to expand his activities in Japan, and even today, almost all of the stores are rented by him.

ー　Yes, Mr. Issey Miyake always says that "FROM 1st" is a very important place for him.

Hamano　I remember when I held a show at "FROM 1st", which is also the starting point of Issey Miyake, using the atrium area. After seeing that show, I decided to quit the fashion brands I had established, such as "SOMETHING ELSE" and other so-called "mode" fashion brands, and to sell out the brands. On the way home from the show, as we were walking home together, I said, "Today's show was great. You came back from Paris and made me decide to quit fashion. "FROM 1st" is the first environmental project, so this is also the beginning. In other words, Issey Miyake's talents helped me clarify my path. Not only Issey Miyake, but also Junko Koshino, Kansai Yamamoto, and Tadanori Yokoo etc. I received encouraging words from many creators, and I am sure that these talented individuals were a source of inspiration for me.

ー　Around the same time you became involved in a large resort industry project.

Hamano　I have been interested in Okinawa for a long time because I believe that public interest resorts should be built in Japan. In 1971, when Okinawa was returned to mainland Japan, I was offered a position as a researcher for the Okinawa Ocean Expo (to be held in 1975) by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. From that time on, I began to think that I would do whatever it took to preserve Bise Village, surrounded by fukugi trees in Yanbaru, and insisted that all buildings should be no taller than the height of the trees in Yanbaru. But the officials of the time did not understand, and they were trying to develop a high-rise resort condominium development with economic priorities, without regard for the natural environment of Cape Bise.
At that time, the phrase "Don't make Bali a second Hawaii" popped into my head. It was at that time that an international competition was to be held in Bali for redevelopment projects financed by the World Bank. I suggested that we should participate in the competition, and we won the first prize. A race was already in the works for Bali, and it was almost certain that a high-rise resort condominium would be built by a Canadian and American design team. But that would have killed Bali. We argued that all buildings should be lower than the palm trees.　 It was thanks to Mr. Tatsuo Kira, an authority on ecology who happened to be next to me on the airplane, that I was able to substantiate the scientific rationale for lowering buildings lower than the trees.
Recently, the king of Bali has suggested that we build a monument in Hamano, but in my mind, Bise Village in Okinawa is the base, so I think we need to do that first. I actually have to give up my house in Bise due to divorce. Five years from now, I won't be living there anymore. When that happens, I would like to record the proof that what Hamano did in Bise Village led to Bali.

Completion of the AXIS Building and launch of the AXIS magazine

ー　What kind of project was the "AXIS Building" completed in 1981 and the "AXIS" magazine for you?

Hamano　The basic resource is "FROM 1st". Mr. Hiroshi Ishibashi sympathized with "FROM 1st" and asked me if we could create such a space in Roppongi. At that time I said to him, "You should investigate carefully why Bridgestone Corporation is design, rather than simply relying on design. I told him, "As a large company with a long history of passing on art and design, just as the founder, Mr. Shojiro Ishibashi, built the art museum, the second generation, Mr. Kanichiro, popularized culture, and you, as the third generation, should take pride in his work. Roppongi Iikura, which was already owned by the Ishibashi family, would be an important piece of land that the founder had purchased because he felt it was a good location. When Hiroshi Ishibashi came to me asking me to think about the best use of the land, I told him that it should be one of the results of the Ishibashi family's expansion from Tabi Shoes to tires, and then to art and design, and that he should not design it in a simple way or let architects build whatever they wanted. Since the glamorous and economical town of Roppongi had already been established, we decided to proceed with the project by saying that we should consider a position that would support the back side of Roppongi. Of course, Mr. Hiroshi Ishibashi made this decision after careful consideration. The only thing is that everyone involved at the time was saying, right up to the very end, that the magazine "AXIS" was really necessary.

ー　"AXIS" magazine has had a huge impact on the design world, hasn't it?

Hamano　From that time on, I insisted, "What can we inherit if we only have a building and a gallery? A magazine should definitely be published" As a result, I was made editor-in-chief for four issues, including the first issue in 1981, as a sign of taking responsibility, although it may have been out of poor sentiment at the time.
In considering how to communicate design as a magazine, the first issue's special feature advocates "eclecticism in daily life. The opening page features an essay by art critic Yoshiaki Tono, and the following pages feature a report on my visit to Mr. Koike Gyoshin, who ran the restaurant "Basho," an exotic cuisine restaurant in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, as the origin of eclecticism. At that moment, Mr. Koike said, "Japan has everything just in time", which I clearly heard as "MANIAWASE (makeshift)". Oh this! I was so impressed that I have since been using the phrase "MANIAWASE-lifestyle, MANIAWASE-food, MANIAWASE-marriage...... is this even possible?" many times in my lectures. Mr. Koike Gyoshin's work is so meticulous that he puts his whole heart and soul into it, even when making just one cup of tea, he examines the teacup, the temperature of the water many times, and lays a persimmon leaf on top of the saucer. I felt that I should do this kind of thing too. In other words, design cannot just follow form, just as it must be built from the underlying spirit. That is why, although it is a design magazine, we did not want to follow only design information, but to properly feature the work of people like Mr. Koike, whose work provides spiritual support. For the cover of the first issue, we chose a photograph of a pole. Design is such a nebulous world that I thought it would not be a proposal unless it had a central axis, so I chose a picture of a pole with the ocean in the background.
They said they would leave it up to me until issue no.4, so I featured "Postmodern" in issues no.2 and no.3. Introduced at the beginning of this volume is the work of Michael Graves. I have worked with him on more than 20 projects in Japan, including "Arte Yokohama," completed in 1987. I was one of the first to take up postmodernism head-on in "AXIS" magazine and I also had a conversation with Ettore Sottsass. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted in the magazine, and I am glad that I managed to get on track with that.

ー　"AXIS" magazine has a good beginning, middle, and end throughout the first four issues, and the variety of people in the series. Did you set all these things in motion?

Hamano　Yes, it is almost intuitive. It's the same as making a movie. Even when I'm having a hard time, it suddenly appears. Maybe it is because I usually cast a net. There have been times when I have failed to select the right people for a film audition.
Culture is cultivation of a planet or a garden. I say that filmmaking is the same as cultivating. You can stop halfway through, rain or shine, and you will continue to make films with gratitude. That, of course, would not be possible without a budget. So, while making the film, I also act like a developer and continue to be a producer, and I manage to make up the shortfall. I'm still working on the script for my next movie, but I can't quite coordinate it due to the coronavirus outbreak, even though we are planning to shoot in Shibuya. I am proud to have preserved the culture of Shibuya Scramble Crossing, including "QFRONT", "Tokyu Department Store", and "Tokyu Hands", so I have not given up on my plan to make a film at that location.

There is no distinction between Public and Private.

ー　As you say in your book "Jiyu Mugen", do you have a personality that does not separate work and play, public and private? You seem to value the freedom of working as play and playing as work.

Hamano　I can't separate them, it's my life. I have my own strict aesthetic. For example, this was the case when I opened the "Patagonia flagship store" on Cat Street in Harajuku in 1997. I guess I am not at home unless I am near a lake, river, or mountain, and this may have had some influence on my decision. Mr. Yvon Chouinard, the founder of "Patagonia", and I fished together and had vacation homes next door to each other, so I think we were able to make this project happen. I had a hunch that the entire concept was contained in the fact that the architect who commissioned the design of "Patagonia", Mr. Koh Kitayama, picked up the boards from the sewage system. By collecting used building materials instead of new ones, actively using reused and recycled items, and creating a texture of old and cracked mortar on the poured concrete floor, we were able to create a store that connects to the source of Cat Street, where many stray cats used to gather on a road originally filled with the ditch river.
I first met Mr. Yvon Chouinard through Mr. Douglas Tompkins, founder of "The North Face". Douglas first called me after seeing the "AXIS Building" and being impressed. I had never met him before, but he came to my office and said he wanted to entrust me with the overall production of his fashion brand "ESPRIT/", which was to open a store in Hong Kong. Douglas liked the talent of Tamotsu Yagi, who was in charge of my staff at that time, and convinced him to work in San Francisco, then Yagi moved to the U.S.A. Me, Douglas, and Yvon would always go out together to the mountains, ocean, and rivers. We would think about visions and concepts in the great outdoors.

ー　We would also like to ask you about "ZOZODAN", which you founded when you were a student. Although the name of the institute changed to Hamano Product Research Institute, and now to Hamano Institute, the method of initiating projects by each staff member was a very new way of working. Did you create this kind of organization through your experience?

Hamano　I have never consciously tried to create an organization. I have never drawn an organization chart, but I have always tried to work with the right people if they were good enough. In this respect, finding Takao Kitayama during my time at Hamano Commodity Research Institute was a great asset. Kitayama was the perfect deputy director at Hamano Commodity Research Institute. So, my personality did not allow me to stay with him for a long time and we eventually had to leave. In other words, if I myself cannot be free, I feel bored. When it comes to the sense of "MANIAWASE" I spoke of earlier, it is a cripple. For example, making money by saying, "If you invest in this now, you will make a lot of money," is one of the "MANIAWASE" for me.

ー　Is it true that "ZOZOTOWN" was created in part from yours "ZOZODAN"?

Hamano　That's correct. After reading my book, Mr. Yusaku Maezawa contacted me and asked if he could use the name. I told him he could use it if he came to my vacation home in Wyoming to do some fishing, and he really came. There is a picture of him fly fishing, but actually I let him catch it. It was when his company was not yet large, but he left me with a project concept that was worth seven million yen. I think that was his way of thanking me. I think Mr. Maezawa is pushing forward well without being obsessed with his success. It is important not to be attached.

Creating an Ankow Museum

ー　Finally, we would like to ask you about your thoughts on design archives and design museums. In your book you talk about a "Living History Museum", what is it like? It seems to us that there are some hints for a design museum.

Hamano　Rather than exhibiting objects, the purpose is to display and experience the culture behind the objects, wearing the clothes, using the tools, and eating the food of the period when the place flourished. This is the way of preserving things. I know that in some places in Canada and the U.S.A., people play out the lives of people in the past, wearing clothes from that era. The most obvious example is Shuri Castle in Okinawa, which was destroyed by fire. When they say reconstruction, it means restoration to its original form, but I am not sure if that makes sense. Rather, historical materials should be exhibited somewhere, so why can't the reconstruction budget be used to preserve the lifestyle and handicrafts of the time at Shuri Castle. I think it is possible to create a museum town that includes the area around Shuri Castle, in other words, a lifestyle theme park, but in a more design-oriented form.
Whenever I produce, there are always many parts of the project that involve opposition to environmental conservation, and sometimes I am removed from the project because of this. Recently, an activist who is trying to relocate his headquarters plant to a village where no one can live because of the Fukushima nuclear power plant has invited me to join him. But when the factories start operating, people gather, and the town is established, it would be uninteresting to just revive the shopping district, so I would like to propose the idea of a running river.

ー　Since you are also a film director, do the landscapes and the situations in which people live vividly come to mind rather than the individual designs? Do you have a vision for the Design Museum?

Hamano　Indeed, filmmaking is similar. At the Design Museum, I found Mr. Taku Satoh's "Design A" to be interesting in its approach to showcasing a solidly familiar object. I wonder if I would like something even more, something that would make the whole city a design museum. Why not prepare a large plot of land and turn it into a design museum town? Showing archival films is boring, and simply displaying things that cannot be touched is also uninteresting. If she had lived, I think a talent like Ms. Eiko Ishioka would have been an astute producer. We need energy to smash the existing ones. A museum that allows visitors to experience as much as possible without being limited by preconceived notions. It would be boring to present only results that have been verified by experts.

ー　What kind of space is the Ankow Museum (in the basement of Hamano Institute, where the interview was conducted)?

Hamano　It is a space where I can play freely. When I started working in the late 1960s, the Kings Road was an exciting place, and London creators were doing all kinds of things to disrupt traditional British culture and create something new. Besides, in New York's East Village, poor painters were allowed to live in old warehouses while renovating them freely, which was good government, but some artists still live in Soho.
I have seen this situation for many years, and although it is a little late for me to say this, I too would like to create a free space. I decided to play in this space for just three more years. It is also a space for me to rearrange the things I have expressed and think, "Let's keep this and throw away that". I have been nicknamed "Ankow" by my friends, so I named it the "Ankow Museum" and have preserved all the materials. I have installed a small but movable screen and a mini-theater with sound equipment so that up to 20 people can sit down and watch a movie.

The Ankow Gallery in Aoyama displays panels of past work, Hamano's collection and other items.

ー　Your activities are truly a history of urban and lifestyle design, but do you have any plans to preserve and exhibit them as an archive?　For example, do you plan to make this gallery a permanent installation?

Hamano　As a new base, I am planning to buy a small plot of land and build a house and gallery in Sakamoto Station, Shiga Prefecture. There is a sandbar nearby, and a sandbar is formed when a river is dried up, which means that the trees in the headwaters are dead. I am planning to live there to protect that sandbar. There is a place where I can dock my boat, and I feel a connection with Mt. Hiei, the land where my father practiced Shugendo before his marriage, because of its proximity.

ー　Your many published books are an archive, but how do you keep other materials such as drawings, photographs, models, and artworks that allow you to look back on your work?

Hamano　I am in the process of organizing a large number of slides. My work is hard to remain, although many of the photogravures are included in my book "Realization of Thoughts" (published in 2012). I have written 80 books so far, trying to preserve them in writing and form. I am currently building a foundation in my Omotesando office, and once I have archival materials in place, I plan to bring them to Sakamoto as the "Ankou Museum. During my boyhood, I used to ride my bicycle to Lake Biwa to go fishing, so I feel as if I am returning to the place where I was born.

ー　What is the concept behind the Hamano Ankow Museum?

Hamano　Ambition and Aspiration, how are the two different? I actually dislike the word Justice, as it was brought up in a discussion with the person, I will be building the school with. It is design that gives form to human ambition and aspiration. I want to preserve what I have expressed and how it has changed the world.

ー　Looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds at the Ankow Museum. Thank you very much for your time today.

Enquiry:

Hamano Institute
http://www.teamhamano.com/