1pm−2pm
A City That Cultivates Culture
― Culture, Architecture, and the Public: Perspectives from Kyoto
- Speakers: Nishiwaki Takatoshi, Sejima Kazuyo ｜ Moderator: Fukai Atsushi
While Kyoto is a city that preserves its history and traditional culture, it is also a cultural center where contemporary art, architecture, and crafts converge and diverse creative practices coexist.
Culture is nurtured not only by outstanding artworks and artists. It is also the spaces, institutions, and educational frameworks that support creativity, as well as the city itself, which provides the foundation for culture.
In this session, architect Kazuyo Sejima and the Governor of Kyoto Prefecture will explore the vision of “a city that nurtures culture” from the distinct perspectives of architecture and public administration. Reconsidering Kyoto not simply as a city that preserves its history, but as one that continually nurtures culture through collaboration across architecture, government, and cultural policy, what is needed for a historic city to foster creativity for the future? What roles can architecture and cultural policy play? And what kind of cultural city does Kyoto aspire to become on the global stage? Bringing together diverse perspectives, this session will explore future visions of the city.
Speakers:
Nishiwaki Takatoshi (Governor, Kyoto Prefecture)
Sejima Kazuyo (Architect)
Moderator:
Fukai Atsushi (ACK Advisor/ Arts & Cultural Strategist)
Speaker’s Profiles
- Nishiwaki Takatoshi
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Takatoshi Nishiwaki (born in Kyoto, Japan in 1955) graduated from University of Tokyo and joined the Ministry of Construction in 1979. After working as Deputy Director-General of the Road Bureau, Director-General of the Policy Bureau, Chief Cabinet Secretary, and a Vice-Minister for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport before becoming the Vice-Minister of the Reconstruction Agency in 2016. In April 2018, he was elected Governor of Kyoto Prefecture. In April 2022 he was re-elected, and began his second term. He also holds many official positions including Deputy Chairman of the Union of Kansai Governments, and Deputy Director of the National Governors’ Association.
Website: https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/chiji/profile.html -
- Sejima Kazuyo
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Born in Ibaraki Japan, Kazuyo Sejima graduated from the Japan Women’s University in 1981.
In 1987 she opened her own studio in Tokyo and then in 1995, together with Ryue Nishizawa, she founded SANAA. Her own works include House in Plum Grove, Inujima Art House project, and Japan Women’s University Mejiro Campus. SANAA’s main works include the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, the Rolex Learning Center, Louvre-Lens, Grace Farms, La Samaritaine, Art Gallery of New South Wales -Naala Badu Building, and Kagawa Prefectural Arena. In 2010 Kazuyo Sejima was appointed director of the Venice Biennale. Her honors include the Venice Biennale Golden Lion Award, Pritzker Architecture Prize, Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Prix de l’Équerre d’Argent, Praemium Imperiale, and 2025 Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects. -
