Message from the President

We are living and working in a modern society where security and convenience are guaranteed. We feel uneasy only to think about losing lifelines and infrastructures we are now depending on. This anxiety make people conservative and to think negative in changing not only their own way of life, but also the system of the society.

Since modern design itself is originally designed to expand the security and convenience in people’s everyday life, designers tend to take a cautious attitude in changing its role.

But, what if maintaining the lifeline and infrastructure cause enormous problems for us and for our future?

We have to think about changing the basic social systems and start designing alternative way of life. But, to realize a possibility of this radical change, there must be a model to prove how it works.

So, we “open house” decided to take a chance to change our self. That is the reason to move our office from mid-town Tokyo where we based for a quarter century to Kusunoki forest in Yamaguchi Prefecture located a thousand kilometers west.

We are off grid here. We are not tied to any kind of tubes or wires; no water or gas pipe, no electric or telephone wire. The minimum electricity we need are generated on-sight. We use well water, high-performance wood stove and advanced bio-toilet system. Since we have difficulties in catching radio waves, we meet people face to face rather than communicating through mobile phones or internet. Mail service is available.

Although we are in this remote countryside, we have direct connections to the rest of the world. We keep coming and going especially with Asian neighbors. Japan itself is in the corner, in any way.

We are surrounded with rich nature instead of artificial infrastructure or lifeline. This is the real foundation for life.

We cultivate not only lands but also local culture. This is a proving ground of sustainable design.

Fumikazu Masuda

President

open house inc.

Change society by design

Needless to say, societies are formed by design and have changed by obtaining new form. Variety of yearly events and festivals in Japan such as Hina-no-sekku or the Girls’ Festival and Gogatsu-no-sekku or the Boys’ Festival has unique and different forms all over Japan. Each form has its own meaning and has been designed by putting people’s heart. Who designed? No one knows and it even does not matter. Rather, these festivals have been endeared and handed down for centuries until today because these are created spontaneously.

From townscape to grounds of shrine or footpath between rice fields, everything were carefully designed and maintained by local people. Form of confectionary, arrangement of food on dishes, signboards, typeface of menus, and more were elaborated. You can see thoughtfulness in design of these things.

Moreover, there is a reason why various industrial arts were initiated all over Japan. Bamboo work, such as ribs of fan, was developed where good bamboo grows. An industry of drawers made of paulownia wood was developed adjoining to a major source of pongee fabric. Blacksmith’s shops gathered at place where forestry was prosperous. This did not happen by chance; rather it started by someone who realized it. The promotion of new industry policy represented in summer orange in Chōshū Domain, old name of Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a good example that designed industry.

Society changes by design that gives a form to ideas. Some activities are already initiated by using power of design that shapes societies and communities, which create values and contribute to earthquake disaster reconstruction and job creation in the developing countries.

The International Conference of Design for Sustainability

How is our living style developing in terms of creating the sustainable society that we need? In order to report and confirm our progress toward our goals, we are holding this conference.

1.Destination2006-2026, TOKYO ／Team：Finding a way to a Sustainable Society

2.Destination2007-2025, GIFU／Team：Drawing a land map of a Sustainable Society

3.Destination2008-2024, TOKYO／Team：Steer toward Sustainable Society

4.Destination2009-2023, TOKYO／Team：Social Innovation-ing

5.Destination2010-2022, YAMAGATA／Team：Local Sustainable Community

6.Destination2011-2021, TOKYO／Team：Asian Sustainability

7.Destination2012-2020, THAI／Team：Asian Sustainability

8.Destination2013-2019, KITAKYUSHU／Team：Shear Asian Future

9.Destination2014-2018, INNDONESIA／Team：It’s time to go back to Village

10.Destination2015-2017, YAMAGUCHI／Team：“Design goes SLOC”  design for distributed regional economy

11.Destination2016, KYOTO／Team：Sustainability in the ecological and social upheaval