「炎と再生」
災禍を越えてー
Looking, after the Fires

EXPO2025 / OSAKA, JAPAN





USA  PAVILION
APRIL 13, 2025 – OCTOBER 13, 2025

A COLLABORATION FROM
US-JAPAN CREATIVE ARTISTS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
ORGANIZED BY
JAPAN-US FRIENDSHIP COMMISSION /
日米友好基金







"Looking, After the Fires" is an exploration of cultural responses to fire and wildfires in American and Japanese cultures, and a speculation on how we might better understand fire in our lives.

Although fire has the potential to devastate landscapes and communities, it also has the power to rebalance the natural environment and promote regeneration. We seek to explore this conflict between destruction and rebirth, symbolizing hope beyond overcoming difficulties.


「 邦題:炎と再生 」 は、アメリカと日本における火災や山火事に対する文化的な反応を探るとともに、私たちの生活の中で火をより深く理解するための試みでもあります。

火は、風景や地域社会に壊滅的な被害をもたらす一方で、環境のバランスを整え、再生を促す力も秘めています。破壊と再生という相反する性質こそが私たちのコンセプトの核心であり、困難を乗り越えた先にある希望を象徴しています。





THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS





PROJECT CREDITS

    

[建築 – Architecture Project Team]
Megumi Aihara         相原　めぐみ
Dan Spiegel               シュピーゲル    ダン　
Shinji Miyajima         宮嶋    信至
Tamotsu Teshima     手嶋    保
Shotaro Oshima       大島    頌太郎
Shun Endo                 遠藤    駿
Ken Kamachi             蒲池　健


 [火の見櫓 制作者 – Fire Tower Fabrication]
上田　隆平         Ryuhei Ueda
梅本　順一        Junichi Umemoto
樫山　原吾        Gengo Kashiyama
小森　弘一        Koichi Komori
斎藤　猛            Takeshi Saito
迫平　隆志        Takashi Sakohira
永井　慎二        Shinji Nagai
橋本　和男        Kazuo Hashimoto
久木　誠            Makoto Hisaki
松井　祭            Matsuri Matsui
松田　秀和        Hidekazu Matsuda


[鐘 制作者–Bell Fabrication]
山田　稔　       Minoru Yamada
松木　幸　       Ko Matsuki


[ご協力者の皆様 –Thank you to all our contributors]
山名　善之        Yoshiyuki Yamana
西村　祐子        Yuko Nishimura
広谷　純弘        Yoshihiro Hirotani
手嶋　慶子        Keiko Teshima
榎本　長治        Choji Enomoto
竹内　明             Akira Takeuchi
西下　健治        Kenji Nishishita
西下　文平        Bumpei Nishishita
平尾　和眞        Kazuma Hirao
藤巻　良二        Ryoji Fujimaki
高井　寿子        Hisako Takai
橋内　智也        Tomoya Hashiuchi

公益財団法人国際文化会館
International House of Japan (I-House)













[JAPAN FIRE FESTIVALS]




[REBIRTH & RESILIENCE]



Old-growth redwood forests are remarkably resilient ecosystems, uniquely adapted to survive and even thrive after fire. Fire acts as a natural force of renewal, sparking a dynamic cycle of regrowth and ecological recovery. Even heavily burnt trees respond individually by sprouting epicormic shoots from dormant buds beneath the bark, allowing them to quickly regrow foliage. Basal sprouting from the base of the tree further supports regrowth and resilience. Nutrients are released back into the soil, enhancing fertility and supporting regeneration.
Images from the Santa Cruz Mountains Bioregional Council (SMBC.org).

[US FIRETOWER TYPOLOGIES]

 Fire lookout towers proliferated in the United States in the mid-1900s for wildfire prevention in remote, forested areas, particularly across the national forests. Their elevated positions provided a panoramic view to detect smoke and flames before fires could spread. Over time, the majority of these lookout towers have became decommissioned as fire surveillance shifted to aerial surveillance through satellites and remote cameras. Only a few towers remain in use today, although others may also remain preserved as historic sites.
Images from the US Library of Congress. SDFASDFASDFSDF