Akira OSHIMA (First-class architect/head, Akira Oshima Design Office)
The Akira Oshima Design Office stands right along Route 171 on the west side of Osaka University’s Toyonaka Campus. A first-class architect and head of the office, Akira OSHIMA studied architecture and urban planning at Osaka University’s School/Graduate School of Engineering and at UCLA, opening up his own office at 33 after returning home and working on-site in construction offices. For nearly 30 years since then, he has been involved with designing medical facilities and stores, as well as operating 4 restaurants. He spoke about his career at Café Restaurant NU (Ikeda City), which he designed and now owns.
Akira OSHIMA
Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1953, Akira OSHIMA graduated from the Architectural Engineering Department of Osaka University’s School of Engineering in 1976, and received his master’s degree in the Architectural Engineering Department of the Graduate School of Engineering in 1978. In 1980, he received his master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. From 1981~1985, he worked in urban planning and contractor’s offices, until finally starting the Akira Oshima Design Office (1 Sumiyoshi, Ikeda City) in 1986. Mr. Oshima served as a part-time lecturer at Ohtani Women’s University (now Osaka Ohtani University Junior College) from 1995~2002 and at Shitennoji University (International Buddhist University) from 1998~2007.
A showroom in local Ishibashi
Café NU-, with its characteristic ivy motif, is located 3 minutes from the East Exit of Hankyu Ishibashi Station, right on the way to Osaka University’s Toyonaka Campus. A peek through the wide glass door and windows shows a path and courtyard full of students coming and going amid the plants and general appearance that give the café its distinct tropical feel. “It’s my hideout,” said Mr. Oshima, but he laughed, “When everyone is there working, I can’t stop by for a drink.” The café was opened as a “practical showroom” to display fundamental concepts for his company office. The aim was to “create a space that is both comfortable and enjoyable.” Moving away from trends and decorations, the café has a relaxed, uniform look utilizing natural materials and simple colors.
Influenced by his parents, he chose to become an architect
He spoke about his motivation to become an architect: “I liked art. I took art classes from when I was very young, and was in the art club in junior high and high school. My mother also enjoyed creative activities like yuzenzome (a dyeing technique), so that influenced me as well. I have a mind for science and I’m good at precise calculations. That’s why I wanted to pursue architectural design.” He took into consideration the words of his father: “Better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion,” which fostered the will to find success in life by naturally doing the things he enjoyed. He did want to go to university in Tokyo, but he ended up at his first choice of university, enrolling in the architecture department at Osaka University. He commuted from his hometown of Ikeda to the Suita Campus.
Yearning to become an architect, he studied in the US
He has fond memories of his time as an undergraduate student in the art club at OU. “I was shaped by the pecking order they had in place in the club, similar to a sports club, which made it pretty enjoyable. We lodged together at Wagu (a seaside school in Shima, Mie Prefecture that has since closed). When it was time to eat, the 1 st graders caught clams, the 2 nd graders cleaned them, the 3 rd graders cooked them and the 4 th graders ate them. We also had mixers with women’s universities. I only studied a little bit, but my grades were pretty good. I guess I’m just good at managing those kinds of things (laughs).”
After finishing graduate school, he went to study at UCLA, where one of his favorite post-modern architects, Charles Moore, was teaching at the time. To Mr. Oshima, the appeal of Mr. Moore was that “his designs were a lot of fun, like if you turned over a toy box.” On what attracted him to Mr. Moore’s architecture: “He was a pioneer who made buildings that were a little different than what you’d see in modern architecture, things like square buildings and glass siding. He made buildings that had both human and historic elements to them.
Improving his architectural philosophy
After returning home and working to plan and redevelop apartment complexes in an urban planning office, he began working at an engineering firm. As he experienced work sites in lumber, concrete and steel construction, he “became friends with the workers, acquiring a route to be able to ask ‘what should I do?’after opening my own office later on. They were a huge help to me.” By learning about the actual conditions at construction sites, he acquired “sensible judgement,” for better or worse. Mr. Oshima’s basic stance was the role of down-to-earth design that took into account profit and practicality after the building was constructed. “Once you put them up, buildings are here to stay. It’s the social responsibility of the architect to watch over these buildings until the very end,” said Mr. Oshima.
Appearing on the television program “Before/After”
About 10 years ago, Mr. Oshima appeared on the Asahi Broadcasting Television program “Overhaul! Dramatic Before/After,” which solves concerns related to houses through the knowledge of architects. He worked on projects involving houses built on small plots of land. Through responding to a variety of orders and request during his career, he’s always cherished his ability to “crank his performance to 120%.” Doing this allows Mr. Oshima to have more leeway in his work, and he asks the same of young people. To him, the satisfaction in architecture doesn’t come from creating something intentionally. “Just like industrial arts, architectural creations based on the results of experience and gut feeling are truly outstanding.”
About his character, Mr. Oshima things of himself as very competitive. “I tend to hack away inconsistencies. I flock towards things that interest me, but I’m also quick to flee from things that I’m not so into,” he laughed. He’s fought with his clients time and time again, but, he says, “I get along well with them once all is said and done.”
Moving his HQ to Thailand, a bastion of “good old Japan”
In the past few years, Mr. Oshima has acquired connections in Thailand through a friend, and he is planning new projects in areas such as restaurant production after moving his base of operations to Thailand in the near future. “Thailand reminds me of ‘good old Japan’ with its warmth and kindness. If one person works hard, then 10 people will be happy, but in Japan, a downsized society, if one person collects wealth, those around him or her will suffer. The difference is huge.” He’s designing a life that allows him to work amongst the Thai people, a group that lives in and enjoys the here and now.
Knowledge, and how to use it
Through activity of the “Ishibashi Shitamachi Club,” an organization of restaurants to which NU- (operated by Mr. Oshima) belongs, he has a number of opportunities to interact with motivated, active OU students. However, he feels that, in general, young people nowadays have a limited ability to use the abundance of information available to make informed decisions and tend to run away from the things they cannot do. When he previously taught at a private university, he encouraged students to “question what you’ve been told is correct.” On the other hand, he also encourages schools to “not simply cram knowledge into students, but also teach them how to use it. In soccer, for example, you don’t start out by talking about the rules, you let them kick a ball around. If you know how to use it, knowledge will come next. Everyone uses knowledge differently, so it’s difficult to teach even basic systems. But you’ve got to stray from safe choices.” He watches over current students kindly but firmly.