Out of the spotlight: Michael E. Stanley puts the focus on public-works projects that actually work

Japan, Inc., Dec, 2002 by Michael E. Stanley

One interesting aspect of Shun Castle's restoration was the use of traditional craftsmen on a large scale. The main upper structures of the Shuri Castles of the past were all of wood, and the occasional fires that burned through them usually resulted in total destruction, causing detailed records to be left of the rebuilding. The last destruction in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa virtually obliterated the castle. The older records provided vital clues for the reconstruction, and those old plans were followed as faithfully as possible by master carpenters and masons. And while traditional Japanese castles have many aspects in common, the design of Shuri Castle seems more Chinese in its roots, meaning that extrapolating design elements front Japanese castles was not an option. In addition, the bright colors of the castle are all traditional lacquer finishes, and craftsmen came from all over Japan to participate in this largest-ever lacquer project. Without the support of a publicly funded project, such living use of traditional crafts would be impossible.

As a contrast, the rebuilding of the small castle of Kakegawa in Shizuoka Prefecture was supported mostly by the local government and a local popular subscription effort. This reconstruction duplicates the castle as it was during the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868). When its keep was completed in 1995, it was the first such traditional Japanese castle structure to be built of wood in the original manner. Tire castle has added panache to what was formerly just another small city along the Tokaido bullet train line.

While the "pave for posterity" philosophy is unfortunately alive and well, Japan's public-works projects have produced some small but positive results that seem to be poorly appreciated. Now the task is to tame that concrete pouring juggernaut and to direct its energies more skillfully. What is required is a wholesale re examination of the organizational decision making process behind public works. The sites that appear here provide a glimmer of hope that there is some common sense out there.