Architecting a ‘one and only’ tourist destination

Trips to Japan are back on the menu, and local hotels are struggling to keep up with demand. With the tourism industry rapidly becoming a core pillar of Japan’s future economy, new attractions and facilities are top of mind for many businesses and municipalities.

The recent Rakuten Travel Conference delved into this very topic, with several thousand accommodation providers from Rakuten’s leading travel booking service coming together to talk shop.

Among the sessions was a special guest: renowned architect Kengo Kuma, known for iconic buildings such as the Nezu Museum and the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, as well as international projects like the Opposite House in Beijing and House of Fairytales in Denmark.

In a session with the head of Rakuten Travel Yoshiyuki Takano, Kuma shared his insights on Japan’s tourism boom and the pivotal role of architecture in shaping visitor experiences.

Building the ‘one and only’

“I like buildings that have something one and only – something that feels like you can only experience it there,” Kuma revealed. “It doesn’t necessarily require a large investment or opulent materials. What resonates with me are those truly unique aspects.”

In Japan, Kuma sees a movement towards architectural homogeneity, dictated by the trends of the day – something he believes builders need to transcend.

“Architecture has trends. We insiders often actually fail to see those trends, until some time has passed and we realize what everyone was copying,” he remarked. “Designs are really easily influenced by the times. So the challenge lies in how much you can design freely, influenced not by whatever is trending, but by the characteristics of the locale. This is how you can make something that stands out from its era.”

The conversation touched on the Bilbao effect, a term coined following the successful transformation of the Spanish city of Bilbao after they brought in American architect Frank Gehry to build the now-famous Guggenheim Museum.

“What they did was make something that wasn’t available anywhere else. That’s the key. Rather than emulating past successes, they called in architect Frank Gehry – who hadn’t worked much in Europe before – to make something very unconventional that only Bilbao had. That’s at the heart of the Bilbao effect. If you make just one thing that can’t be found elsewhere, that impacts the impression that your entire city gives.”

The museum brought about significant economic benefits for Bilbao, and other global cities soon started looking to emulate this success.

Giving your place a story

The Bilbao Guggenheim was Instagenic before such a term even existed. In the digital age, unique tourism destinations need little encouragement to go viral.

“In the age of the internet, if you can make something that’s interesting at its very core, everyone will come and see it,” Kuma said. “In this age, once word starts to spread, it really spreads. I think everyone who’s building something needs to understand that.”

This, Kuma stressed, is why a building’s story is so important. The Bato Hiroshige Museum is one such example – Kuma insisted on building the striking structure entirely with locally sourced cedar wood.

“We could have used wood from anywhere, but doing this gave the building a story,” Kuma said. “These stories are more significant today than they were in the past, in part because of the internet. These stories spread, and become extremely powerful. That’s why designers need to create things that spark these stories.”

The dying art of risk taking

One major challenge in creating unique attractions is an increasingly risk-averse Japan, Kuma worries. A conservative corporate salaryman attitude seems to be permeating into other facets of society.

“They reject everything that isn’t to standard – it’s too risky,” he lamented. “We don’t want to fail. But without those failures, you can’t make anything truly appealing. Japan made a lot of great buildings because we had a lot of risk-takers. But now that only salarymen are making things, our cities are becoming boring. Architecture is becoming boring.”

At the same time, a desire for short-term profits is suppressing ambitions for more long-term-oriented projects. Many of Kuma’s own projects have not been immediately profitable, instead sparking broader economic benefits in the long term.

“If you only go for short-term profits… it’s really hard to build something that has character. When you decide by conference, you can’t get everyone to agree to something that only works over the long term. And I believe that working on this long timescale is really important.”

Correcting this course is one major goal of Kuma’s.

“I think the most important thing for me is to become a leader that takes risks,” he said. “So I want to continue to take risks, and communicate the importance of taking risks to young people into the future.”

Tourism is about more than just the economy

Kuma recognizes that the risky process of building something unique takes courage.

“You don’t need much courage, just a little,” he emphasized. “You have your own place, so be proud of it. That will give you courage. You have this mountain, this scenery, work by this artisan. With that courage, I think you can make something that stands out from the era.”

Kuma reminded Rakuten Travel’s hotel providers of the important role they are playing in the broader future of Japan.

“Japan’s tourism industry is something that will support Japan going forward. I don’t just mean Japan’s economy, but Japan’s very culture,” he stressed. “So I want everyone to use that as motivation and work with confidence.”