The Trees and Their Many Lives

In 2025, we chose to plan the exhibition program of Japan House São Paulo following certain specific themes. They include the Japanese people's connection with nature, their awareness and care that result in fundamentals of sustainability.

Here on the ground floor, the sequence is even more palpable. We kick off the year with the exhibition Japanese Principles: Design and Resources featuring the theme of mottainai, a concept that preaches non-waste. We continue with Prefabricated Anatomy: One Way of Living in Japan, which centers on the rational use of wood and collective work – both shows with virtual tours available on our website –, and we close with Masters of Carpentry, about the distinct works of skilled wood craftsmen.

Though most of our exhibitions are designed in-house, once a year we welcome an exhibition selected by a committee in Japan, intended to be exhibited in all three existing Japan House units – London, Los Angeles and São Paulo –, the only show in our program schedule with external, international curation.

Over the past few months there have been numerous exchanges with the curator that have resulted in an even greater fascination with the way Japanese carpenters relate to wood. In addition to the technical and spiritual aspects, their sophisticated and efficient traditional wood joinery deserves our admiration. 

The exhibition held with a collection from the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum in Kobe is comprehensive and provides a complete immersion in this universe. It also highlights part of a very particular way of thinking: considering the Japanese context, it makes sense to talk about using wood from an ancient tree, as mentioned right in the first text, considering the vast number of ancestral buildings in the country. The commitment to preservation and perpetuity are fundamental premises. 

Japan has extensive experience in the rational use of limited resources, a quality noted in several areas. The use of wood is just one of these areas, which deserves to be seen and absorbed. 

Natasha Barzaghi Geenen
Cultural Director of Japan House São Paulo

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