現代日本の公園設計者は、広く世界に見聞を求めて勉強しないのかね。 私は庭園が宇宙模型としてや、時代の理想像の雛形と見ているので、庭園史にはすくなからず関心をもってきた。イギリス庭園、フランス庭園、イタリア庭園、中国庭園、そしてもちろん我が日本の名園の数々。王侯貴族の庭園のみならず、教会附属庭園も。・・・私の青春時代の町、会津若松市には藩主松平家別荘の庭園「御薬園」が現存する。あるいは、ニューヨークで私が好きな中世美術館、ザ・クロイスターズの小さなハーブガーデン。この美術館の庭園の植物は、ヨーロッパ中世の教会等にあった植物をあつめ、中世教会を再現した徹底ぶりだ。そして日本は、西芳寺、鹿苑寺金閣、慈照寺銀閣、桂離宮、大仙院、龍安寺、一乗谷朝倉氏遺跡庭園、兼六園、三渓園などなど数多の名園がある。 イギリスはウォーウィックシャーのアップトンハウスの庭園は、自然のままのように見えるが、すべての植物の配置がみごとに計算しつくされている。 ニューヨークのセントラルパークは大都会のど真ん中に構想され,実現され、周囲がどんどん変わって行くなかで、変わらぬ姿を大事に維持しようと努力している。そう、あの広大なニューヨークのオアシスは、努力して維持しているのである。 同じくニューヨークのグラマシーパークを見ておこう。この公園は鍵がかかったプライベート公園である。周辺の住民の鍵をもっている人だけが利用できる。植物が豊かに美しく整えられているので、利用権を持った住民がどのような話し合いをしながら、一種の歴史的景観としてこの公園を維持しているのか、私は関心をもって眺めたのである。 また、たしか今年が施設30周年のブライアントパークは、5番街と6番街(アヴェニュー・オブ・アメリカズ)との間、ストリート40と42との間にある。ニュヨーク公共図書館が管理する緑豊かな公園だ。植物群に溶け込むように緑色に塗られた柱に透明ガラス壁の小さなブースも点在する。軽食店であったり花屋さん。クリスマスシーズンにはツリー用のデコレーションを売るブースになり、アイス・スケートリンクがつくられる。しかし、私がみごとだと関心するのは、まったくこせこせしていない空間構成なのだ。あくまでも木々の緑が大切にされている。ブライアントパークが、”lush park in middle of Manhattan (マンハッタンのまんなかの青々とした公園)"と云われるのは、由無くはないのである。
On may 1st of this diary, entitled "Green Day", I wrote about the plans currently underway in Tokyo under the name of "redevelopment." I paid particular attention to the large logging of trees that has historically been familiar to the citizens of Tokyo. "It's stupid," I said.
The redevelopment of the area including 1,000 ginkgo trees in Jingu Gaien will be a new construction of sports facilities and high-rise buildings, and a shopping mall on the north side. There are four businesses: Mitsui Fudosan, Meiji jingu, Japan Sports Promotion Center (JSC), and ITOCHU orporation. Meiji Jingu is a business operator. I feel Jingu's nastyness about it. specially in recent years, the behavior of the Association of Shinto Shrines is terribly suspicious. The dream of the Greater East Asia War era, the spirit of coming again can be seen through. There seems to be no god or humiliation. I wonder if Meiji Jingu has no sanctuary if it seems to make money. According to some religion, he was angry at doing business in front of the temple and destroyed the stall. I'm wonering about the destruction that didn't care about the people's dayly lives, but what is it that the priesthood now has a plan to pollute the sanctuary itself? 150 years after the Meiji era, is it a gohst skin of true faith? I don't have any devotion, but I don't rhink I'm going to pollute the place that is considered to be a sanctuary, so I feel that Meiji Jingu is a business operation in Jingu Gaien's "development". ... The citizens of Tokyo, who are calling out to protect the historical landscape and nature surrounding the shrine area of Jingu Gaien, will be scolded by their feet.
By the way, the image 'rendering) of the redevel- opment concept has been released. This is the first time that a business operator has published such a rendering (by the Asahi Shimbun; May 20th morning edition(. Apparently, the story of logging a row of ginkgo trees was leaked, and various media outlets began to take up the issue, so the business operator has published as an excuse.
This project site has 3 images posted. However, I note that not all images. The "Shopping mall" plan mentioned above is not posted. The image picture exists. However, it is not announced on this site. Why? ... I just submit a question.
By the way, while looking at these images, I mourned that it was a boring idea. I came up with the result of the redevelopment of Hibiya Park. I'm amazed at the fact that it has turned into a poor-smelling park packed with fassy things. Where did the old spacious space go! That, why did you destroy the space that seemed to be nothing but sunny in the valley of the surround- ing buildings! As I say many times, the result is a greedy, poor-smelling, stupid "park-likeness".
Isn't modern Japanese park designers studying for a wide range of insights from around the world? I see the garden as a model of theuniverse and as a model of the ideal image of the times, so I have been interested in the history of the garden. Englsh gardens, French gardens, Italian gardens, Chinese gardens, and of course, many of our famous gardens. Not only the gardens of royalty and aristocrats, but also the gardens attached to the church or the monastery/convent. ...In my youth town, Aizuwakamatsu City, the garden "Oyakuen" of the Matsudaira fudal lord's villa still xists. Or a small harb garden at The Cloisters, my favorite medieval museum in New York. The plants in the garden of this museum are the first to repro- duce the medieval church by collecting the plants that were in the churches of the Middle Ages in Europe. And in Japan, there are many famous gardens such as Saihoji, Rokuonji Kinkaku, Jishoji Ginkaku, Katsura Imperial Villa, Daisen'in, Ryoanji, Ichijodani Asakura Ruin's Garden, Kenrokuen,and Sankeien. In England, the gardens of the Upton House in Warwikshire look pristine, but the arrangement of all the plants is well calculated. Central Park in New York was conceived and realized in the middle of the big city, and while the surroundings are changing steadily, New Yorkers are trying to maintain the same appear- ance. Yes, that vast New York oasis is striving to maintin. Ler's take a look at Grama¥ercy Park in New York again. This park is a loked private park. Only avail- able to those who have the keys of the local resi- dents. Since the plants are rich and beautifully arranged, I was interested in seeming what kind of discussions the residents with the right to use maintained the park as a kind of historical landscape. Bryant Park, whih celebrates its 30th anniver- sary this year, is located between Fifth Avenue and 6th Avenue ( Aveue of Americas), and between Steers 40 and 42. It is a green park managed by the New York Publi Library. There are also small booths with pillars painted green to blend in with the flora and the tree with transparent glass walls. It's a light meal shop or a flower shop. During the hristmas season, they will be the booths selling decorations for the rees and an ice skating rink will be built. But what I'm really interested in is the composition of the space, which isn't sloppy at all. The greenery of the trees is valued to the last. It's no wonder that Bryant Park is called the "the lush park in middle of Manhattan."
City planning is generally based on the issue of economic efficiency. However, the facilites such as the park, including Jingu Gaien, should be considered as a place to take a break from such economic activities, essentially away from such economic activities.
I don't miss old things. There seems to be a tendency to say, "I miss the Showa Era," but I have no suh feelings. The logging trees men- tioned above, and the image proposed in the name of redevelopment is what I call "stupidity." It's not a nostalgia at all.
As a side note, the rebuilt architecture of the Imperial Hotel opposite Hibiya Park is the worst. That is the "poor smell". What is the heapness of that entrance. How ugly is the entrance hall? In this regard, the old Imperial Hotel was much more prestigious.
Ah, it's no good, everything is cheap. I think Japanese culture is becoming childish.