Secrets of the “Hōjō” Humble Dwelling
—Kamo no Chōmei, “Hōjōki”
As our world becomes increasingly vulnerable to earthquakes, typhoons, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters, we must reevaluate our dependence on critical infrastructure, such as electricity, Wi-Fi, AI, and sophisticated machinery. While these tools of comfort and convenience stand as benchmarks of progress, we are gradually losing our innate ability to fend for ourselves using basic human instincts.
“Hōjōki” (“The Ten-Foot Square Hut”) is a classic essay written by Buddhist monk Kamo no Chōmei (1155–1216) in 1212. Chōmei expounded on the impermanence of nature and futility of wealth and possessions as he isolated himself in a tiny nine-square meter abode in the foothills of Mount Hino, in southeast Kyoto. How his philosophy of suffering, tolerance, and frugality contradicts our current desires for sophisticated forms of safety, security, and interpersonal relationships shapes the core theme of “Learning from ‘Hōjōki’: Tiny Architecture Reweaves Life,” currently on view at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT.
Running until January 11, 2027, the unique exhibition showcases creative interpretations of living quarter installations by architects, designers, artists, and companies—namely, Shin Egashira, Yusuke Omuro + Kawacho-Gumi, Yusuke Obuchi + Jun Nakamura, 2m26, Akira Yamaguchi, Tomoki Shoda, TAKENAKA CORPORATION, veig, Yoshihiro Suda, and Mina Tabei. These dwellings interpret the significant factors that drove Chōmei to live austerely based on themes of transience, asceticism, desolation, and a keen awareness of earthly temptations and calamities.
At the entrance of Gallery 1, “Rotating Landscapes,” a graphic installation by Mina Tabei introduces a three-dimensional, abstract structure that symbolizes a strict nine-square-meter constraint. A dynamic interplay of light and shadows keeps colorful geometrical shapes in constant motion inside the hermitage, generating a two-dimensional landscape with a one-point perspective.
Gallery 1 guides viewers to the historical context of the “Hōjō” by tracing the ideology and physical reality of a mini-home construction. Architects Tomoki Shoda, Ryo Oyama, and Yukako Masui provided the extensive research, which centers on the exact layout and dimensions of the mobile small-scale house Chōmei inhabited. Their study also considers the spatial configuration, material selection, and manuscripts that illustrate diverse analyses of the “Hōjōki” across centuries. At the center of the room, an open wooden framework represents “The Hōjō Hermitage as a Non-existence Space,” drawing on transient memory and its correlation with the biosphere.
Upon entering Gallery 2, visitors encounter “Storage Shed ‘Relocation’ Project from Literature,”
a small storage shed epitomizing the one occupied by novelist Chotaro Kawasaki (1901-1985). Kawasaki spent twenty years as a hermit in such a cramped and makeshift coastal lodging while producing his literary works. Yusuke Omuro + Kawachi-Gumi group conducted elaborate research into the author’s writings to accurately redefine the characteristic details of the shelter’s interior and exterior. Selected excerpts from Kawasaki’s works appear on pages installed outside the hut as textual clues to bridge the gap between physical architecture and the written word.
Next to it is Yusuke Obuchi + Jun Nakamura’s sound-integrated “tech-hermitage” pavilion, “Walking Hōjō.” The exhibit is split into two components. The lower section displays a wooden walking apparatus using digital modeling, while the upper portion serves as a core habitat lined with industrial PVC pipes that function as a playable pipe organ. The team transformed an abandoned FRP (fiberglass-reinforced plastic) feed silo from a rural village into a minimal shack. The project discards static elements of comfort and excess, focusing instead on a modular form that tilts, walks, and resonates with sound. The design translates Chōmei’s traditional wood structure into a model of numerical optimization and algorithmic craftsmanship. This cutting-edge concept demonstrates how advanced digital tools can build resilient and efficient micro-dwellings for the present-day society.
At the center of the hall, Shin Egashira’s “London Hōjōki—Atlas/Afterimage” installation imagines Chōmei’s home in metropolitan London. Egashira introspects the urban life around the Thames River and districts where the memory of the Great Fire of London lingers. He sets up a camera obscura and a tripod to observe the shifting tales of a city. His work takes a metaphysical approach, questioning our indulgence of consumer goods stored in excessive spaces. He uses local materials to construct a skeletal frame that reflects Chōmei’s vision of a modifiable habitat.
French architects Mélanie Heresbach and Sébastien Renauld of 2m26 have set up a timber-crafted pavilion, “living with.” Applying Japanese carpentry techniques, the installation reveals exposed frames and hand-finished surfaces. Its cypress elements underscore the relevance of nature to the sensory relationship between humans and building materials. Viewers can look inside the hut to directly experience the scale, weight, and compactness of the micro-shelter, whose organic presence contrasts sharply with the gallery’s concrete construction.
As the final installation in this room, “Tsubi-an (Shell Hermitage)” by Akira Yamaguchi infuses fine artistry to illuminate the detailed aspects of modest living. He is the only contemporary painter among the contributors. The work presents an “exploded-roof” perspective with ambient lighting, allowing viewers to peer through the open roof and scrutinize the densely packed living quarters filled with kitchen equipment and everyday tools. By combining different time periods, Yamaguchi stresses the illustrative and narrative nature of habitation rather than its raw materials.
Toward the Sunken Court, “Mino-an Maun-tei/Clad Hut Mountain Garden,” an actual nine-square-meter cabin, sits under direct sunlight amidst the changing open-air atmosphere. Tomoki Shoda collaborated with TAKENAKA CORPORATION and veig to assemble this outdoor hermitage as closely as possible to Chōmei’s own cottage. The walls and roof were constructed from materials gathered around the original setting. The team at veig provided the landscape gardening using organic elements, challenging people to adapt not only to the tangible composition but also to the overall environmental surroundings.
Complementing the architectural installations are delicately crafted floral sculptures by Yoshihiro Suda: “Morning Glory” and “Balloon Flower.” They take inspiration from the description of the morning glory flowers in Chōmei’s essay.
The exhibition leaves visitors with a heightened consciousness of modern waste and over-accumulation, prompting them to seek meaningful alternatives for a sustainable, ecological way of life.
Details
“Learning from ‘Hōjōki’: Tiny Architecture Reweaves Life”
21_21 DESIGN SIGHT
Until January 11, 2027
10:00–19:00 (Closed Tuesdays, November 21–23, and December 27–January 3, except September 22 and November 3)
Written by Alma Reyes
