FIXES

Non-Intentional Design: Investigating alterations of space/objects at the public/private boundary in suburban Tokyo, Japan. A resource by a-small-lab.com. Contact: Chris Berthelsen chris@a-small-lab.com

Station Cushions

Hand made cushions for winter station benches in Gifu (courtesy of Tajimi High School).

Station Cushions
Station Cushions
Station Cushions
Station Cushions

Location: Tajimi, Gifu

User Voices Drive Train Station Fixes

This sign in Shibuya station illustrates how station employees have ‘fixed’ ticket gate signage at the request of users.

In this case, existing signage left passengers unclear as to whether the station could be exited from the ticket gate. This was fixed by installing two signs pointing to well known exits/meeting spots.

User Voices Drive Train Station Fixes
User Voices Drive Train Station Fixes
User Voices Drive Train Station Fixes

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Don’t Come Through

PET bottles filled with water, a pot, a brick and a post all convey the message of the local residents to cars – “No Thoroughfare!”
P1170328
Materials: PET Bottle, Pot, Brick, Post
Location: Nakano, Tokyo

Park Bench in Plastic Twine

Park bench constructed from household seating and plastic twine.

See “Bus stop chairs are gifted, unmatched, and spontaneous” for an insightful take on the subject (on Tokyo Green Space).

Park Bench in Plastic Twine
Park Bench in Plastic Twine

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Hand Made Shopping Street Map

Hand made map showing shops and attractions in the center of Nagoya’s shopping district, Sakae.

Various fonts, paper, and hand written annotations, along with fading, wear and tear evoke the temporality of commerce.

I wonder what rules and regulations hold for the those allowed to add to the sign. What are the penalties for unauthorised editing?

Hand Made Shopping Street Map
Hand Made Shopping Street Map
Hand Made Shopping Street Map
Hand Made Shopping Street Map
Hand Made Shopping Street Map
Hand Made Shopping Street Map

Materials: Paper, Marker, Laminator
Location: Nagoya, Sakae

Early October is Ginan Season

Early autumn foraging. Making the city your pantry.

It’s hard to miss the ginan (ginkgo nut) season – stinky parks and boulevards, grimy eldery citizens on their hands and knees across the city. Listening (for once) to my pleading wife I had always refrained from foraging and limited myself to picking up clean nuts from local vege shops and friendly neighbours. Today, emboldened by an off-the-cuff lesson by a local retired tantric meditator and astral spectrum rider (also an expert at losing his pension packet at the races) I picked up a few on the way home from a morning tea at Showa Kinen Koen.

It’s as simple as the yogi assured me. Pick them up, wash them off at home, fry them up while still in their shells, nibble with salt and shochu.

I’m pleased to belatedly add the ginan to my foraging schedule, alongside favourites Mulberry and Tokyo Poppy Seed.





(Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening)

(This post is part of our ongoing Tokyo Local Fruit project)

Bicycle Support

End piece added to bicycle parking port after complaints from residents about wind blowing over bicycles.

Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Annotated Trolley

Trolley underbelly provides space for instructions on its own use – in this case, for use only within the rubbish center area.

Annotated Trolley

Annotated Trolley

Materials: Marker
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Storage and Fire Saftey

Fire extinguisher stored right in the most flammable area. Salvaged bath/shower stool put to use as stand.

Storage and Fire Saftey
Storage and Fire Saftey
Storage and Fire Saftey

Materials: Bath Stool
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Cardboard Box Recycling Tower

Cardboard box recycling tower constructed from salvaged metal rack and wood block for stabilization. Stool for reaching upper levels.

Cardboard Box Recycling Tower
Cardboard Box Recycling Tower

Materials: Metal Rack, Wood Block
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Disposing of Cardboard & Paper

Series of instructions regarding the disposal of paper and cardboard. Green laminated sign reads ‘paper’, hand written sign instructs residents to secure bundles of cardboard with string, typed sign notes instructions from the city.

Disposing of Cardboard
Disposing of Cardboard

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Disposal Instructions for Glass

Instructions on the disposal of glass bottles/jars – take the lid of first. Note emphasis over ‘lid’, cute portrait, and signature from the ‘Clean Trio’ who take care of the rubbish/recyling center.

Disposal Instructions for Glass
Disposal Instructions for Glass

Materials: Paper
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Recycling Station

Overview of can, glass bottle and plastic bottle recycling station. Full crates form structure and support for empty.
Cheerful handmade sign providing instruction on the correct way to recycle plastic bottles.

Recycling Station
Recycling Station

Materials: Plastic Crates, Coat Hanger
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Watch out for kids!

Sign collaged from reflective tape cautioning motorists to watch out for kids at play in suburban Tokyo.

Watch out for kids!
Watch out for kids!

Materials: Reflective Tape
Location: Akishima, Tokyo.

Hose Storage

Functional adaption of park tree for maintenance equipment storage in a run-down apartment complex just off the high-fashion avenue of Omotesando.

Hose Storage
Hose Storage

Materials: Tree
Location: Off Omotesando, Shibuya, Tokyo

(Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening.org)

Playground Meeting Spot

At night the climbing mound in the middle of the local playground is a spot for chatting, smoking, flirting, drinking……

Hand Made Shopping Street Map

Material: Playground
Location: Minami-ku, Nagoya

Mosquito Repellent Vase in Park Toilet

Another example of the hand made aspects of Japanese mass-made toilets. This time a large can that used to hold mosquito coils has been placed in a Nagoya public toilet by Mr./Ms. Migita?/Uda?.

Great to see the date of placement clearly written on the side of the can.

Mosquito Repellent Vase in Park Toilet
Mosquito Repellent Vase in Park Toilet
Mosquito Repellent Vase in Park Toilet

Materials: Can
Location: Sakae, Nagoya

A couple more [HERE] and [HERE].

Neighbourhood Watch in A4 and Tape

Watch out for burglars! This frugal signage warns residents of ambient dangers.

Neighbourhood Watch in A4 and Tape
Neighbourhood Watch in A4 and Tape

Materials: Laminated Paper, Duct Tape
Location: Nagoya

Kindergarten Signage on Bush

Signage for a local kindgarten play-day makes use of a bush in a local park.

Kindergarten Signage on Bush
Kindergarten Signage on Bush
Kindergarten Signage on Bush
Kindergarten Signage on Bush
Kindergarten Signage on Bush

Materials: Laminated Paper, Plastic Twine, Tree
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Ashtray in Plastic Bag

Tree and plastic bag form an easily disposed of ashtray in a local park.

Ashtray in Plastic Bag
Ashtray in Plastic Bag
Ashtray in Plastic Bag

Materials: Plastic Bag, Tree
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Mega-Cities: Design Anthropology and Urban Landscapes
I'm delighted and honoured to have my FIXES work included in Jared Braiterman's Tokyo University graduate seminar on mega-cities.
You can download the syllabus [HERE]


Thanks to the URBAN DESIGN Lab 西村・北沢・窪田 都市デザイン研究室, Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo for making this a featured resource of their lab [LINK]

Vision Plus 2010
Thanks to the organizers of the conference for selecting this project as a featured resource, even though I was not able to attend.




Article: Small Places of Anarchy in the City: Three Investigations in Tokyo on This Big City

Article: The Non-Intentional Landscape of Tokyo - read at This Big City

Article: Framework for Neighbourhood Creative Climate - read at This Big City

Tokyo Green Space from Jared Braiterman is a great inspiration [LINK]

Urban Bricolage by @ehooge is an inspiring site on a related theme [LINK]

Treepolis by Christoph Rupprecht inspires me with investigations into informal green space, cities, and urban ecology with a focus on Australia and Japan [LINK]

Everyday Structures by @alanwiig is another fine site in the same vein [LINK]