ABSTRACT
In Japan, the apprenticeship of an architect upon graduation determines the architectural style he or she pursues and the type of architect he or she eventually becomes. In retrospect, I believe my fate was decided earlier, in secondary school. I was at the Ochanomizu School of Fine Arts trying to gain admittance to the architecture school at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music. There, while neglecting to prepare for my entrance examinations, I was absorbed in solving design problems. Each week, students were asked to create a structural frame out of different materials-wood, paper and bamboo. I would always produce two solutions for each assignment. An interest in materials, structures and methods of construction was already evident in my work and approach at this early stage of my career. One of my teachers from Ochanomizu, Mr Tomoharu Makabe remarked recently, ‘You’re still doing what you did in high school.’
