Ascribed with such ideals as "the most beautiful" or "too wonderful for words," architecturally dazzling libraries in Japan and around the world are often featured in books and other media. Perhaps people see a kind of utopia in these temples of knowledge filled with the wisdom of mankind.
Not to be outdone is the Nakajima Library at Akita International University (AIU), a public university corporation in Akita Prefecture. Located on the outskirts of Akita city, the library is open to the general public. Upon entering the library's semicircular building, set amid a campus rich in nature, the scene of an ocean of trees grown under a huge tree spreads out before me.
"The library reflects the belief of our first president of the university, who felt that the library is the intellectual symbol of a university," said library director Shinya Kato, 65.
AIU's first president, Mineo Nakajima (1936-2013) was an international sociologist who, from the time of the university's opening in 2004, instituted his own unique management style that, in addition to conducting all classes in English, kept the library open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
"I heard Nakajima had persuaded the prefecture [which established the incorporated university] by saying, 'Why can't a library, which is the heart of a university, be open 24 hours a day like a convenience store?'" Kato said.
At first, a building inherited from another school was used, and plans were made to put 1.3 billion yen into the construction a full-fledged four-story library building of reinforced concrete. However, the Akita prefectural assembly and others involved asked the university to cut costs and use local Akita cedar trees, and in the end, a two-story building of timber and reinforced concrete was constructed at a price of 1.1 billion yen. "We changed a dire situation into an opportunity," Kato said.
Architect Mitsuru Senda, whose guiding principle is that a place of learning should be as enjoyable and attractive as a playground for kids, was hired to come up with a design under the condition that he makes optimal use of the wood component.
The result was a ceiling in the image of a traditional Japanese umbrella and bookshelves arranged in a dynamic staircase pattern. Opened in 2008, the library received a number of architectural prizes, appeared in a TV drama, and was even used in a TV commercial for eye drops. Although the university is new, it has maintained a 100% employment rate among graduates, and the library has become the face as it takes a place among the top universities in the country.
On the day of our visit, we see the snow falling outside the windows. But inside the library brimming with the warmth of wood and silence, I feel as if I am protected by a great being that presides over the universe.
Reviving roots of Akita Beauty
The term "an Akita Beauty" that spread nationwide is said to have started when literati visiting Akita city from central Japan in the late Meiji era (1868-1912) labeled the geisha in the bustling Kawabata area of the city by that moniker. However, the world of geisha that gave the town its zest effectively disappeared at the beginning of the Heisei era (1989-2019).
In recent years, a movement to revive the roots that spawned the Akita Beauty has been attracting attention. The trend began after a woman returning to her hometown established a maiko entertainment company in 2014 to retain the culture of the geisha world. With the slogan "Akita Beauties you can meet," the company plays an active role in tourism promotion. Since 2018, it has put on regular performances of the "Akita Maiko Theater" at Matsushita, a former Japanese restaurant that has been renovated.
What is interesting about Akita is that it is possible to get a peek at a flamboyant culture in such a quiet city. I was overwhelmed by the Kanto Festival exhibition at the Akita City Folk Performing Arts Heritage Center. Held annually in August, it is a dynamic festival featuring long bamboo poles, called kanto, up to 12 meters in length and 50 kilograms in weight, from which vast arrays of paper lanterns are attached. In the festival, performers manipulate the huge kanto by switching them from their shoulders to their backs and other parts of their bodies.
At the Akita Museum of Art, we can see the "Akita no Gyoji (events of Akita)" series of paintings by artist Tsuguharu Fujita. On the right half of a large 20-meter-wide piece, there are depictions of the Kanto Festival and other events, while the left half shows scenes of daily life in the snowy region. Akita Prefecture has 17 entities listed as important national intangible folk cultural properties, the most in the nation. It seems the people living in such a harsh winter region attach great importance to celebrative occasions.
Grainy rice texture, nostalgic taste
Damako, or damakko, is a dish similar to Akita's local specialty kiritanpo, but it is actually different. Kiritanpo is an ingredient for a nabe pot dish that looks like chikuwa fish sausage, and is made by wrapping rice around a skewer and grilling it. Damako is a bite-size rice ball and put into the pot without grilling. "It is a dish originating in the prefecture's Gojome district and eaten by matagi hunters. It started with frozen onigiri rice balls being boiled in a pot in middle of winter," said Kaoru Toyota, 63, of the local cuisine restaurant "Chawan-ya." Some say that damako was the source for kiritanpo.
Chawan-ya's "damakko nabe" pot dish (priced at 1,540 yen per person; photo shows serving for two) has been on the menu since its opening in 1977. The damako rice balls, cooked with Hinai-jidori chicken, mushrooms, Japanese parsley and other ingredients, have a stronger rice grain texture than kiritanpo, and offer a nostalgic taste.
Access:
It is a 65-minute flight from Haneda Airport to Akita Airport. From the airport to AIU takes 10 minutes by car, while a shuttle bus to Akita Station takes 40 minutes. Akita Shinkansen trains can also be used.
Information
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