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Tokyo from the perspective of Alyssa Ueno, an architect who has lived 1/3 of her life overseas.

2023.9.20

#OTHER

A circle of friends connected by gut touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.

On August 9, Alyssa Ueno of the first-class architectural firm ULTRA STUDIO appeared on the show, introduced by Max McKee, founder of the outdoor guide “Kammui. We asked her about what inspired her to become an architect, the charms of Tokyo that she can see only after having lived abroad for about one-third of her life, and her new cultural and environmental activity “TŌGE”.

From the Analysis of Representational Culture to the World of Architecture

Takano (MC): Max-san said that you are “an innovator that I admire.

Ueno: I thought about that yesterday, too, but you raised the bar tremendously and started with Max (laughs).

Takano: Everyone will raise the bar (laughs).

Celeina (MC): Let me start by introducing my profile: I was born in Tokyo in 1986. She spent her childhood and college years in England and Italy, and studied architecture at the AASchool and Royal College of Art in London. After gaining experience in design firms in Tokyo and London, he co-founded the first-class architectural firm ULTRA STUDIO in Tokyo in 2019. From 2021, as co-chair of TŌGE, you will be exploring a lifestyle that mixes people, nature, and artifacts in the forests of Karuizawa.

Takano: First of all, I would like to ask you why you decided to become an architect.

Ueno: I have been interested in cities since I was a child. I majored in art history at university and looked at the world from the perspective of analyzing representational culture, but I felt that simply analyzing things did not solve many problems for me. I wanted to face society and life with a positive attitude toward intervention and design, so I shifted my focus to architectural design.

Takano: What do you mean by representational culture?

Ueno: I guess you could say everything that is visible. At university, I studied not only paintings, but also movies, cities, and all kinds of things that can be seen and analyzed.

Celeina: Architects are said to be very hard to study. How was it for you, Ueno-san?

Ueno: I spent quite a long time as a student. But I feel like my work is all about learning, and I have a lot to learn every day.

Celeina: Do you enjoy learning?

Ueno: Yes, I do. Maybe people who think learning is fun are doing architecture.

Tokyo’s attractiveness is due to the large number of permanent residents.

Takano: Also, you spent time in England and Italy, so about one-third of your life was spent overseas?

Ueno: That’s right.

Takano: Now that you have chosen Tokyo as your place of work, what is the reason for that?

Ueno: Originally, in the world of architecture, Japan is said to be at the cutting edge. In fact, I thought it was very interesting even when I was in England. The two people who run the office with me now are quite interesting and strange people, and I had the chance to meet them about 10 years ago, which made me think about setting up a base in Tokyo and working together with them.

ULTRA1_creditJukanTateisi
ULTRA1_creditJukanTateisi

ULTRA2_creditYuunaYagi
ULTRA2_creditYuunaYagi

Celeina: Yes, like Max-san from yesterday, you have friends in Japan and you worked together with them, and that’s how you came to live in Japan.

Ueno: Yes. I think friends are quite a big factor.

Takano: I think that living abroad may change the way we see Tokyo.

Ueno: I think about this a lot, but compared to other international cities, Tokyo has more permanent residents. In London, for example, there are many people who come here in their 20s and leave. This is partly because there are many universities in the area, but recently land prices have gone up too much, and once the student years are over, creators cannot afford to live here. I feel that if this happens, culture will gradually disappear. I think Tokyo is very attractive because such a phenomenon does not occur very often.

Celeina: I had never thought about it.

Takano: I guess it is your unique point of view.

Celeina: What do you find attractive about Tokyo, other than the environment in which you live, both in Japan and abroad? It could be the food, for example.

Ueno: Food, of course (laughs). (laughs). Max-san said yesterday that Tokyo is the best place in the world. The other thing is the proximity to Asia. During the past two months, I have had the opportunity to visit China on a business trip and Europe on a private trip, and I find the current culture in China very interesting, and I think it is very attractive to have easy access to such places.

Celeina: It is true that China is growing rapidly and changing rapidly.

Takano: That is one way of looking at it. Now, I asked Ueno-san to choose a song that he would like everyone to listen to together on the radio at this time. What song would it be?

Ueno: It’s called “Trees Among Shrubs” by Men I Trust. The melody itself is very dreamy, but the lyrics are a little sad.

Takano: Thank you very much. Let’s listen to the song.

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