Nature's voice

What made you become aware of nature ?

Oka　Actually, it is because of two previous experiences that I really became aware of it, I must say..
The first experience was when I happened to visit a waste incineration factory in Nagano Prefecture by chance and saw a huge heap of discarded clothes right in front of me. I was very shocked! It really brought home to me the contradiction to the gorgeous world of ‘fashion’, where value is considered nothing more than wearing ultra fashionable, edgy clothes, and then disposing of them after getting bored. I strongly felt the need to reconsider the true nature of ‘fashion’, unable to stem my doubts concerning the rapid flow of following trends, and ever-accelerating and expanding mass production…! A fashion show I held in March, 1994 at a waste incineration factory, under the theme, ‘Co-existence of the Environment and Fashion ‘ was thus my expression, in opposition to the actual fashion world.
The second one occurred when I was in my mid-thirties, I suppose. It was the beginning of the so-called ‘career women’ era, and I was no exception, working extremely hard, night and day, without considering my future carefully. In despair, I found myself one day at my family home, after my father’s death. Taking this opportunity to be alone, I felt like walking through the forests of a nearby mountain. Bathed in the total serenity of solitude, I regained affection for nature, realising how beautiful it could be…! The sounds of flowing water, leaves trembling in the wind and soft and gentle breeze…it was all bliss ! It was the moment I rediscovered precious nature and I could not help but love it from the bottom of my heart. I think I must have been really exhausted at that time (laughs..). At the same time, it gave me the opportunity to ponder ‘what have I seen and done as a designer ?’ It was therefore the moment to return to my roots as a creator.

Tell us about what nature gives you.

Oka　For me, nature is something that makes me relaxed and healed, brings energy and softens the stiff feelings within myself. I truly believe that nature has the power and energy to wash away and purify all that we have. Human beings tend to possess worldly thoughts and greed or selfishness in our daily lives and through the various incidents we encounter. Whenever we face a difficult situation, we can simply immerse ourselves in nature, where all the superfluity is cleansed away, resting our own minds. In other words, I get the feeling that only the most vital and simplest elements and factors remain.

Why are you attached to Nagano ?

Oka　The first reason is, because I want to put myself in nature that healed me from stiffness when I was in the midst of despair. Secondly, I would like as many people as possible to cloak themselves in the energy emitting from nature, through what I express on the limited surface of clothes covering the human body.
These thoughts lie at the heart of my activities in Nagano. From this basis, I wish to gradually extend this space and the atelier where I work with my staff to something wider, to a space to represent this entire Nagano region, and finally to a space which embraces the whole city, filled with the energy of nature. Since I have been running a school from my mother’s generation, I am all too well aware of how I can inherit what I have acquired from the previous generation, and how I can return what I have learned in the past to the younger generation. This remains my firm inner mission.
My intention is therefore to turn Nagano into an ‘environmental & design city’ where nature, man and the city all live hand in hand.

What is the key element for ‘Oka Masako’ ?
And what kind of design do you mean exactly?

Oka　Although it might sound stereotypical, it has to be my nearest and dearest (family, friends, lover, staff…), also smiles and laughter. Before considering any creation or management, what I pictured, even unconsciously, was a picture of myself working among my staff filled with laughter, surrounded by a gentle breeze and the sound of water, with chirpings of birds in the beautiful nature. This lifestyle is the key. Moreover, I think the act of designing represents ‘creating new common sense’. If I explain it in plainer, more intimate words, it can be the space and time for the expression of one’s own thoughts towards an uninformed future. This thought or wish should be demanded, not only by oneself but also by individuals and society in future.

Concept of the Design Office & Why a Coordinator rather than a Designer:

Japanese traditional techniques
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Advanced technologies
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Ecology

Oka　Fundamentally speaking, Japan has a particular climate that represents the four seasons, derived from naturally favoured features with abundant forests, meaning plenty of water. On top of this climate lie the accumulated traditions, followed by advanced technologies for the future, and the attitude to review the very origin of beauty, namely, ‘nature’. The principle of our design involves combining all these thoughts.. When working with well trained craftsmen, teaching us skills that have been cultivated over centuries, or with researchers, to develop frontier technologies, I sometimes realise that I am indeed a coordinator expressing my concept. By blending all these traditional techniques and world beating technologies, I would very much like to create something which will last even a decade later, rather than something just trendy for now, or this year.