‘Modernology’ Survey of Tokyo after 1923 earthquake by Wajiro KonThe Japan Study Program is a design research platform that interlinks three workshops across geographical and contextual distances: the post-agricultural community in Koshirakura, the contemporary urban/suburban life styles of Tokyo, and the fabrication facilities situated at the woodlands of Hooke Park and in ICI Lab.
This field research workshop is a collaborative initiative with the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts (Tokyo Gedai) and ICI Camp in Toride. The program will actively involve the Ueno and Torid communities, providing participants with two alternating perspectives of Tokyoite life. In this immersive experience, workshop participants will gather stories and architectural fragments using diverse mediums such as photography, film, objects, and drawing. These creative expressions will capture contemporary and traditional outlooks, offering a nuanced portrayal of the evolving urban landscape.
The workshop's primary goal is to visualize the diverse forms of communities present in the Ueno and Torid areas through direct observations and interactive engagements. By exploring the intricate tapestry of these neighbourhoods, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and social dynamics that shape Tokyoite life.
Applications for this program will open soon.
The programme is open to current students of architecture, art, and design, as well as PhD candidates and young professionals.
All participants travelling from abroad are responsible for securing any visa required, and are advised to contact their home embassy early. After payment of fees, the AA School can provide a letter confirming participation in the workshop.
All participants are responsible for securing their own travel and health insurance. Please ensure that your travel insurance also covers your personal belongings i.e. laptop, equipment, tools, passport etc. The AA takes no responsibility for lost/ stolen property.
Programme Head
Shin Egashira is an architect, artist, educator and PhD candidate who works collaboratively worldwide. His experiments which fuse old and new technologies, include the construction of Alfred Jarry’s Time Machine alongside astrophysicist Andrew Jaffe; ‘How to Walk a Flat elephant’, ‘Twisting Concrete’ and ‘Beautifully Incomplete’ at Betts Projects.
He conducts a series of landscape workshops in rural and inner-city communities inter-culturally. Shin Egashira is Unit Master of the AA Diploma Unit 11, with whom he has been critically documenting neoliberal urban development in London from 1996 to the present day.
Shin holds visiting professorships at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and the University of Hong Kong.