2004 -
Disasters and wars have contributed to the destruction of old urban areas in Japan and to the ring-fencing of small pockets of the national territory – principally in parts of Kyoto – as cultural landscapes or scenic zones. But equally, the process of development has been reinforced by a prioritization of investment in and exploitation of land. This is particularly true of Tokyo, where the urban landscape is subject to strong pressures of destruction and transformation. This research attempts to uncover some of the contradictions and challenges inherent in the concept and process of conservation in the uncompromisingly development-oriented Tokyo terrain. Taiwan has recently undergone a period of rapid and radical change. An important and highly contested part of this process has been the re-discovery of a cultural heritage in the built environment. In this research, together with Dr Tang Hsiung-Jen, National Taiwan Normal University, I am examining points of tension and new articulations of cultural identity.