Japanese design in the context of spatial arts: the battle for tradition and the "challenges of translation"

This article examines issues surrounding the search for regional identity in Japanese design. Given the profound influence that mid-20th-century debates among Japanese architects and avant-garde calligraphers exerted on the evolution of design thought in Japan, the authors broaden the scope of their study to incorporate the outcomes of these discussions. The study aims to identify—using the history of Japanese design thought as a case study—the key challenges facing the professional community as it seeks to define the identity of regional design. The methodological basis of the study comprises the problem-formulation method, as well as historical-genetic and historical-descriptive methods, incorporating elements of comparative analysis and discourse analysis. During the research, the authors focus on the postwar period of Japanese design thought development, when the problem of regional identity was particularly acute for the Japanese due to the occupation of the country by the United States. During this period, there was a famous "tradition debate" among Japanese architects; however, the modernization of Japan continued to be seen as a process of further "Japanization" of the country. Progress in the search for regional identity in Japanese architecture only began to emerge in the 1970s, following Japan's transition to capital-intensive production. In the 1980s, regional Japanese design began to develop, but its perception in the West has been largely superficial. In conclusion, the study’s authors determine that the search for an authentic regional identity in design requires a country to be open to the cultural achievements of other nations. Open discussion of the contradictions arising within the art-historical, artistic, and research-based design discourses of these countries should play a vital role in fostering an open space for dialogue between them.