Le peuple japonais ne sais toujours pas revendiquer son droit à l’espace public. Je dirais que l’espace public pour tout le monde est, en réalité, pour personne.Une fois que l’espace est catalogué « public » par le gouvernement japonais, personne n’est autorisé à l’utiliser d’une manière privée. Un espace public typique est entouré d’une frontière avec des pancartes informant les individus que cet espace est destiné à l’usage collectif, et qu’ils ne sont autorisés à s’y attarder qu’en respectant un ensemble de règles. Ce type d’espace est surveillé avec sévérité par des agents du secteur public. L’exemple le plus proche de la notion d’espace public à l’européenne, c’est le concept dit « Hokousha Tengoku » ; il s’agit d’une journée où les piétons peuvent se balader librement sur la route car les voitures y sont interdites. Hokousha veut dire « piéton ». Tengoku veut dire « paradis ». Ce genre de paradis n’arrive que le dimanche. Les gens se sentent libres, mais seulement pour un bref instant. Je dirais que, pour les japonais, le vrai espace public est un rêve qui disparaît le lendemain matin, au réveil. Ce lendemain étant le lundi. Les citadins se réveillent alors en tant que rouages de la gigantesque machine économique. Le rêve, quant à lui, reste beau, parce qu’il ne dure qu’un instant.
Cogwheels Dreaming of Pedestrian Paradise
Takaharu tezuka, Tezuka Architects
I don't think Japan has ever had public space in the same manner we might label as European public space. The idea of public stands on the very ground of private space. Spaces must be owned by someone, so no space is solely public. The closest manner we’ve had to this is sharing. We have a proverb that says "If you let anybody stay under your eaves, you may lose your house." The proverb implies a culture of being careful not to let one overstay their welcome. But culturally Japanese people have always depended on one another for mutual benefit. It is two sides of the same coin. Jorn Utzon describes the essence of Japanese architecture as nothing more than a roof. A wall is just a means of adding convenience to a space. The boundaries between public and private are not simply black and white.
Japanese people still don’t know how to claim their right to a public public. I would say that a public space for everybody is for nobody. Once a space is labelled as ‘public’ by the Japanese government, nobody is allowed to use it privately. A typical space is surrounded by a boundary with signs carefully stating that the space is for public use and people are only allowed to stay as long as they obey the rules. These spaces are strictly controlled by the public sector. The closest idea we have to European-style public space is a concept called "Hokousha Tengoku"; the day when people may walk on the road as the dominant occupants because cars are forbidden. Hokousha means pedestrian. Tengoku means paradise. This paradise only appears on Sundays. People feel freedom, but only for a moment. I would say real public space is a dream for the Japanese, which disappears when they wake up in the morning. The morning is Monday. People awake as the cogwheels of a huge economic machine. The dream is real beauty because it doesn't last forever.
