日本での発見 / Discoveries in Japan #29: 明日館 / Myōnichikan

Although I'm not a huge fan of the Arts and Crafts movement, I enjoyed visiting the Jiyū Gakuen Myōnichikan (自由学園明日館), the building of the school established by Hani Motoko and her husband Yoshikazu (羽仁もと子、吉一) in 1921. Founded upon their Christian beliefs, the school sought to educate young people in an environment that taught them to be free and individual thinkers, where socially-bound values such as educational background or social status didn't define the importance of each student in the community.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his student, Endō Arata (遠藤新), the building features beautiful woodwork and a lovely use of space. There is a sense of being grounded, with the building's straight lines and an emphasis on the nature of, and the contrasts among, the materials used. I usually find the style kind of cold, but in the daylight today, it felt both calming and welcoming...

でもなんか最近、頭も体も心もメッチャ疲れてる気がする。気をつけないと、オレこの間々バラバラになっちゃうかも。ここ数日間は雨が降ってても生暖かくて、この間々梅雨になるんだな〜ってノンキな事言ってるし······