Comments on: Kazuo Umezu Horror House Unveiled

By: Billy

Billy — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:06:21 +0000

Great comment! Conformity has its place in securing a harmonous, yet discriminating society, but I think that creativity and vitality are ideals that need to be more prevalent in adult life, especially in Japan. I think, however, that he might still have sought some type of consensus with the locals before building the house and while keeping the colors, he might have done away with the face on the side of the house.

By: Aurimas

Aurimas — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:13:04 +0000

Thats insane, I love it!

By: carlito

carlito — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:36:15 +0000

maybe we should have an ugly/not ugly vote directed at random people on the street and deal with the uglies accordingly. I’m not intolerant, I just only want to see pretty things.

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:05:26 +0000

looks like Woodsy the owl!

By: TheBigGSN5

TheBigGSN5 — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:39:09 +0000

The man is the OG of horror manga. He can do as he likes.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 06:42:28 +0000

I did some digging, not being able to remember where I heard that flooding thing, and found this page which suggests they are not forbidden after all:
http://park16.wakwak.com/~hjm/doc/s-3doc.html
Also see:
http://www.sumu2.com/chishiki/law/law/09.html
Here’s the key quote from the second link:
従来、建築基準法では地下室を居室として使用することが禁止されていました。2000年の建築基準法改正により、一定の条件を満たせば、地下室を居室として使うことが認められています。
So they were forbidden up until 2000, but are now allowed so long as they fulfil certain guidelines. Since Dogs and Demons came out in 2002, one can assume Kerr didn’t do his homework.

By: majiimeaussie

majiimeaussie — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:03:18 +0000

The “bricks” installed on most places in Japan are actually sheets that look like bricks that are stuck on the outside of the walls (normally plywood over a wood or steel frame).

If you are really interested in the brick wall for insulation purposes, another option would be to use “hebel” bricks or panels. They are aerated concrete and provide much better insulation than just bricks and are much lighter. I have seen them in use in Tokyo and there is a hebel housing company but I don’t know where you can buy them.

By: James

James — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:04:18 +0000

The basement issue is an interesting one. Is it really a flooding issue? Back when I read Dogs & Demons a few years ago, I believe that Alex Kerr claimed he could find no logical explanation for the “no basement” rule. Maybe it’s a carry-over from a time when flood-proof/earthquake-proof basement technology wasn’t very reliable?

John K:

Aren’t some of Kobe’s ijinkan made of bricks? They held up relatively well against earthquakes, didn’t they?

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:45:35 +0000

Okay, here’s the solution. Build your house, get the permits, get it done…and then a few months later slap the brick façade over the front. That might do the trick.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:36:08 +0000

The flexibility is down to the interia and slenderness ratio of the structure.

That explains my really tall, thin house that’s so flexible that it rocks back and forth when a delivery truck drives by.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:23:56 +0000

A brick facade? You mean non-load-bearing? That should be acceptable, as I’ve seen many houses with brick facades. Not thick bricks, perhaps.

Can’t see how a brick house would be able to “move” with an earthquake: the bricks are cemented in place, forming a rigid structure. Steel can have joints, and is more flexible than brick anyway (ever try to bend a brick?).

And the basement argument certainly makes no sense in upper regions, but I suspect this is a case of just one blanket rule.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:09:51 +0000

Yeah – good luck finding a random house in the Tokyo suburbs. Try maybe 2ch or Japanese websites to try to narrow it down.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:02:47 +0000

Yes, there are a ton of zoning laws (so much for the lazy foreign press that claims Japanese cities are not zoned) – housing is usually in two zones (Housing 1 and 2) which regulate how much of the land area your house can take up (kempeiritsu) and how big the volume can be, etc. I’d probably want to build a house in a commercial area to get away from these restrictions on boundaries to an extent. Or better yet, buy an old one.

The rule about brick seems to be for earthquake resistance. You are not allowed basements either – something about flooding.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:01:15 +0000

It’s true— probably will be more trouble than it’s worth.

That said, in the opening of the clip, you can see a curved road, nearby red and green roofed homes and a long rectangular building. If anyone has any more details yet, I bet we can find someone in the crowd that can pinpoint it

Then again, asking around in Musashino wouldn’t be TOO hard would it? “Have you seen Umezu-sensei’s red and white Makoto-chan house?”

Ryan!

By: anonymouse

anonymouse — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:56:26 +0000

Ooh, this is near where I live! (same city) I will definitely have to take a look, but Musashinoshi is so damn huge.. :/

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:39:01 +0000

I don’t think the Google satellite image are that up to date. And the are near Kichijoji, western Tokyo (I live out there) is one of the biggest sprawls of 3 story buildings that all look alike in the world.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:06:40 +0000

I think that term is probably related to something like the concept of property value that they have in my parents neighborhood. Everyone in the neighborhood has to get permission from the local planning association in order to make drastic changes to their property because ultimately the decisions of one person will affect the selling price of another person.
That being said though, since only land has value here and even that depreciates yearly I say this guy should do whatever he wants. I wouldn’t want to live next to the house, but that’s just me.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:06:32 +0000

I’m going to Tokyo in a few weeks, and my plan is to find the house if it’s not too hard. I figure asking around could work, but does anyone know more specifics on the locale?

I was gonna try looking on Google Maps (satellite mode) to give myself a challenge. We know that the locale is near Kichijoji…

Any Tokyo residents have more specific info?

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:58:03 +0000

I support Uemzu. And, a lot of it has to do with the motives and tactics used by his neighbors. I’ve lived in places back in the US where there were established codes to preserve historical or architecturally-significant aspects of the neighborhood. However, this does not seem to be the case at all.

Rather, they have much more in common with the residents of Nagamizo in Fukuroi, Shizuoka who in 2007 successfully blocked an attempt by a 3rd generation Japanese-Brazilian resident to purchase a plot of land to build a family home. See http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=2144

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:42:56 +0000

Not nearly as bad as I feared, based on the earlier post. The ones who are complaining are the 50-ish housewives who rule the neighbourhood (the sort that will have no hesitation in demanding to see your rubbish on rubbish day). But what the hell is this “景観利益” nonsense? Seriously, your average Japanese city is not beautiful. Japanese cities may be many things, but beautiful is seldom one of them.

By: Asuka

Asuka — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:30:56 +0000

Although this house is not exactly my style, I still love it! I applaud Kazuo Umezu for making the neighbourhood a little more interesting. I also find it ironic how so many Japanese people (and people in general) want to become a kid again, yet stigmatize those who add creativity and colours to their lives.

By: ponta

ponta — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:15:11 +0000

it is not ugly but it is not beautiful. Not especially annoying–it is rather fun. The neighbor’s claim is ungrounded—it is not violence by color and shape.
But when he starts playing music on a constant loop outside, the neighborhood is justified in stopping it.

By: Level3

Level3 — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:01:51 +0000

The construction is a victory against nosy, pushy, 50-something ladies with nothing to do except see it as their duty to play the role of the hammer that pounds flat any nails that they think “stick out”. Bitches.

So, now they will start a long campaign of checking his garbage every day for proper sorting,etc. Or actually resort to mischief, lies, harassment, etc.

Let the war begin, I hope he wins. Maybe the house needs more pink, and maybe some music playing on a constant loop outside.

Maybe as a side effect, any gaijin in the area will be able to breathe more easy as the various neighborhood busybodies focus on this house.

By: Virtual Dark Priest

Virtual Dark Priest — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:44:40 +0000

In Japan, as far as i know, everything is different and respect is the most important value… and respect not only as the rest of the world knows it, but it extends to topics like this one, where you shouldn’t have a house that is not in harmony – let’s say – with the rest of the other houses…

anyway i think is a cool house by the outside and i wouldn’t mind about it… but i say that because i’m not japanese so i see it with other eyes.

By: RYO

RYO — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:59:56 +0000

I like it! Now we know where we can find Waldo.

Some of his neighbors need to relax and refrain from using terms like “color violence” to describe this structure.

By: starfish

starfish — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:46:47 +0000

It’s ugly, but let the guy do what he wants…