East Tokyo City / YOSE by Z Rakugo
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NAD was responsible for the planning, spatial design, and operation of “YOSE by Z Rakugo,” an entertainment event held on a traditional Japanese houseboat, at the East Tokyo City 2022 festival, which took place from Friday, October 21, to Sunday, October 23, 2022.
East Tokyo Market 2022: https://gallery.copack.co.jp/exhibition/higashitokyoichi2022/
East Tokyo Market is a marketplace where a diverse array of vendors—both new and established, from various backgrounds and across different genres—carefully curate and sell items designed to enliven East Tokyo. Yanagibashi is a neighborhood that retains the refined charm of the former red-light district where Edo-era merchants and cultural figures once gathered. Held in Tokyo’s East Side—a region that has long flourished as a hub for craftsmanship—the event aims to foster new connections between products, experiences, and people through creators based in East Tokyo, with the goal of reviving the modern concept of “iki” (refined elegance). Now in its third year, the event expanded its venue from CPK GALLERY to the local Yanagibashi neighborhood, engaging the entire town and energizing the community by leveraging local resources, culture, and talent. NAD supports the goals and vision of East Tokyo City and is collaborating on the planning and design aspects of the event.
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The tourism and cultural industries are declining due to urban decay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. What can be done to preserve these disappearing cultural resources for the future?
The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to travel bans in many countries and, at the same time, restrictions on people's activities and lifestyles. As a result, many industries have been severely impacted. The tourism industry, which had been steadily growing based on inbound demand, has seen tourism spending plummet to about a quarter of what it was in Taito Ward, where Asakusa and Ueno are located, due to the pandemic. Many historic small restaurants, theaters, and amusement facilities are facing difficult business conditions, and despite their best efforts, a considerable number of establishments have been forced to close down.
Asakusabashi and Yanagibashi, venues in East Tokyo City, are no exception. Yanagibashi has a history of flourishing as an old geisha district since the mid-Edo period, and even today, the cultural resource of houseboats remains as a local industry. However, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, houseboat businesses in Yanagibashi have been experiencing a series of cancellations and are forced to operate on a shoestring budget. Thus, the tourism industry in East Tokyo is in dire straits and is facing the need for change.
Meanwhile, in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) global tourism rankings announced in May 2022, Japan achieved the remarkable feat of ranking first in the world for the first time. One of the items that was particularly highly rated was its "cultural resources," which include cultural properties such as World Heritage sites and entertainment facilities such as large stadiums. It is no exaggeration to say that utilizing these cultural resources will be key to the revival and development of the tourism industry in the post-COVID-19 era.
In this situation, what can be done to pass on to future generations the cultural resources of Asakusabashi, Yanagibashi, and by extension, Japan and Tokyo, such as the traditional houseboat? Furthermore, if we view the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to update traditional performing arts and culture, what kind of transformations are required of the tourism and cultural industries?
Asakusabashi and Yanagibashi, venues in East Tokyo City, are no exception. Yanagibashi has a history of flourishing as an old geisha district since the mid-Edo period, and even today, the cultural resource of houseboats remains as a local industry. However, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, houseboat businesses in Yanagibashi have been experiencing a series of cancellations and are forced to operate on a shoestring budget. Thus, the tourism industry in East Tokyo is in dire straits and is facing the need for change.
Meanwhile, in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) global tourism rankings announced in May 2022, Japan achieved the remarkable feat of ranking first in the world for the first time. One of the items that was particularly highly rated was its "cultural resources," which include cultural properties such as World Heritage sites and entertainment facilities such as large stadiums. It is no exaggeration to say that utilizing these cultural resources will be key to the revival and development of the tourism industry in the post-COVID-19 era.
In this situation, what can be done to pass on to future generations the cultural resources of Asakusabashi, Yanagibashi, and by extension, Japan and Tokyo, such as the traditional houseboat? Furthermore, if we view the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to update traditional performing arts and culture, what kind of transformations are required of the tourism and cultural industries?
We aim to create new forms of entertainment by blending traditional and modern cultures, integrating contemporary values with historical cultural resources.
Against this backdrop, NAD viewed the underutilized rivers and houseboats as public spaces in a broad sense, and considered them as venues to connect historical cultural resources to the future. As part of the East Tokyo City 2022 events, they were involved in the planning, spatial design, and operation of "YOSE by Z Rakugo," an entertainment event utilizing houseboats.
"YOSE by Z Rakugo" is a next-generation entertainment project that fuses Yanagibashi's local resources—houseboats—with the traditional performing art of rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling), as well as club music aimed at attracting younger generations. This event was implemented as an experimental initiative for the future of Yanagibashi, aiming to create unprecedented flows of people, develop local industries, and pass on culture while understanding the context of the land and culture.
"YOSE by Z Rakugo" is a next-generation entertainment project that fuses Yanagibashi's local resources—houseboats—with the traditional performing art of rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling), as well as club music aimed at attracting younger generations. This event was implemented as an experimental initiative for the future of Yanagibashi, aiming to create unprecedented flows of people, develop local industries, and pass on culture while understanding the context of the land and culture.
©Z Rakugo
©Z Rakugo
©Z Rakugo
NAD designed the space under the unique environment and various constraints of a houseboat.
Under the conditions of restoring the venue to its original state and, in principle, loading and unloading on the day of the event, we manufactured the necessary stage and DJ booth in sections that could be transported onto the houseboat, and designed them to be set up with minimal work on site. Using existing low tables as a base, and utilizing ready-made partitions and minimal custom-made fixtures, we minimized the amount of waste from event equipment.
We used photography lighting fixtures, not typically used in architecture, to create an unconventional lighting effect for a houseboat. These fixtures were secured with clamps and cable ties to prevent them from tipping over due to the boat's movement during operation, taking care not to damage the houseboat.
Under the conditions of restoring the venue to its original state and, in principle, loading and unloading on the day of the event, we manufactured the necessary stage and DJ booth in sections that could be transported onto the houseboat, and designed them to be set up with minimal work on site. Using existing low tables as a base, and utilizing ready-made partitions and minimal custom-made fixtures, we minimized the amount of waste from event equipment.
We used photography lighting fixtures, not typically used in architecture, to create an unconventional lighting effect for a houseboat. These fixtures were secured with clamps and cable ties to prevent them from tipping over due to the boat's movement during operation, taking care not to damage the houseboat.
©Z Rakugo
The cushion covers provided for visitors were tote bags featuring graphics from East Tokyo City 2022, and these were given as commemorative gifts upon disembarking. Furthermore, local Yanagibashi sweets were given as souvenirs, enhancing the connection between the community and the event, and implementing measures to introduce the charms of Yanagibashi to a wide range of generations who had never visited the area before.
イベントのコンテンツ制作については、Z世代の視点で落語を再定義、発信するクリエイティブチーム「Z落語」にご協力いただきました。
屋形船や落語は、ターゲット層が非常に高齢かつ狭い業界であり、互いに文化継承の課題を抱えています。しかし、東東京においてはこのどちらもが重要な文化資源であり、ポテンシャルを活かしつつ、アップデートした取り組みで産業の維持・発展を目指す必要があると考えました。
彼らと協力し、次世代のリアルな場での交流や芸能の在り方を再考するとともに、クラブミュージックという異なるカルチャーを挿入することで体験価値の向上、屋形船や落語の敷居の低減を図り、ファンの幅を広げることを目指しました。
Z落語：https://z-rakugo.jp/
屋形船や落語は、ターゲット層が非常に高齢かつ狭い業界であり、互いに文化継承の課題を抱えています。しかし、東東京においてはこのどちらもが重要な文化資源であり、ポテンシャルを活かしつつ、アップデートした取り組みで産業の維持・発展を目指す必要があると考えました。
彼らと協力し、次世代のリアルな場での交流や芸能の在り方を再考するとともに、クラブミュージックという異なるカルチャーを挿入することで体験価値の向上、屋形船や落語の敷居の低減を図り、ファンの幅を広げることを目指しました。
Z落語：https://z-rakugo.jp/
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of houseboat services on the Sumida River drastically decreased, leaving the river quiet at night and causing the area to lose its vibrancy. We believe that YOSE by Z Rakugo has created a new landscape in East Tokyo and served as a model for updating cultural resources and traditional performing arts, including houseboats.
This event highlighted various challenges for commercialization, including profitability and operational aspects. We plan to continue reviewing and improving the project with the aim of making it a catalyst for revitalizing local industries.
This event highlighted various challenges for commercialization, including profitability and operational aspects. We plan to continue reviewing and improving the project with the aim of making it a catalyst for revitalizing local industries.
Project Team: Takaaki Ueda, Yasutoshi Koimizu, Takahide Fukui
Cooperation: Nippon Copack Co., Ltd. and Z Rakugo
Reprinted from the Nikken Activity Lab (NAD) website.
Cooperation: Nippon Copack Co., Ltd. and Z Rakugo
Reprinted from the Nikken Activity Lab (NAD) website.
