The Japanese Connection

by Lynsey Robinson & Jane Stoneham

Our connections with Japan were made ten years ago, when we met designers with a shared interest in accessible and restorative design. These turned into long lasting links with creative people who were determined to develop what was then a new subject in Japan – inclusive (or universal) design. On a recent visit to Kyoto and Osaka we had the opportunity to meet these friends again and to see some of the work that has been happening since our last visit.

A lot has changed in ten years. Japanese cities like Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka are now widely quoted as examples of inclusive design practice, and there is increasing evidence of access issues being taken seriously.

On the streets, it is not the individual design features that strike you, but the scale of their use. For example, the use of tactile paving is a familiar sight in the UK along railway platforms and on the approach to pedestrian crossings. In Japanese cities it stretches for miles, leading the way along the pavements and through subway stations, with links to crossings, maps and transport stops. On the train platform it leads to the exact spot where the train door will open.There are tactile maps, information in Braille and audio indicators at road crossings. It’s not a complete picture, not least because there is more legislative weight on the transport side of things, but there is an impressive range of design implementation.

In the parks, the story is more variable. Like the UK, there is no statutory framework to identify access standards for such spaces so it relies on the experience and attitude of the particular design team. Two people that have pioneered the development of inclusive design in such spaces are Yoshisuke Miyake and Fusayo Asano Miyake.

The Miyakes run a landscape architecture company, SEN, in Osaka and have a growing portfolio of work that demonstrates inclusive and sensory design. Their approach is to involve disabled people in planning and testing their work.

One of their projects is Oizumi Ryokuchi Park in Osaka, where they have been responsible for access improvements throughout the site. This includes identifying specific design solutions – for example, a custom-made kissing gate based on a simple design that enables easy use by all visitors, including wheelchair users.

A few years ago they were commissioned to design a sensory garden in the park. The space had been originally designed in 1974 as a "Garden for the Blind", suggesting a segregated place for people with visual impairments. The location in a far corner of the park didn’t help and the result was few visitors and gradual decline of the garden. The Miyakes’ response was that the new garden should be a place for everyone to enjoy in a more central location – not a separate piece of design for disabled people. They involved hundreds of disabled people in consulting on the plans for the garden.

The garden is small but full of detail. Despite visiting in the pouring rain, it was captivating. Plants had been chosen for their textural qualities and aromas, as much as their strong visual contrast and interest, and they create a rich tapestry of shapes, movements and sounds. But the water features revealed the most amazing attention to detail. The garden is adjacent to the park’s lake and the garden design has built in a strong relationship with water throughout the garden. There are surprising acoustic effects. For example, you are drawn to the lake edge of the garden by the sound of a fountain. When you walk beyond the fountain, within a few steps the sound suddenly disappears and you are left with the calm of the lake. You’re not sure how it happens, and that adds to the experience.

Another SEN project, is the design of the Kansai Rosai Hospital Park in Osaka. The park provides a beautiful, tranquil space for patients, staff and family. It has integrated features that are helpful in rehabilitation. For example, steps and ramps of different gradients that give patients the chance to practice negotiating these features before they return home. There are quiet, intimate spaces designed for patients to have more private conversations with their families or friends, and to give some comfort to people dealing with bad news or the early stages of bereavement.

More images from our trip below:

New Core building at Eden Project | Index | A River Runs Through Them: Parks in Melbourne, Australia