Architecture

A Thatched Pavilion That Nurtures Food and Brings People Together

This pavilion features a large, thatched roof made from grass collected from across Japan. In traditional forest village life, thatch symbolizes the cyclical harmony between human activities and nature. Ways to reuse the thatch are also being considered for use after the Expo ends. The multiple overlapping roofs evoke the bustle of a marketplace, bringing people together through food. The design was developed by combining elements selected from nearly 50 proposals submitted by young architects from Kengo Kuma & Associates.

5 regions of thatch used

Aso City, Kumamoto Pref.
The grasslands of Aso are maintained through traditional management such as grazing, gathering, and burning. The history of grasslands is said to be as old as 13,000 years ago, and until about 60 years ago, grasslands were necessary for daily life as fertilizer for fields and feeding for cattle and horses, but the spread of chemical fertilizers and tractors has reduced the use of grasslands by half. However, about 14,000 ha of grasslands are still maintained for economic and environmental reasons.

Gotenba City, Shizuoka Pref.
Gotemba’s thatch field is the largest silver grass meadow. which stretches over 4,000 ha between 500 m and 1,000 m above sea level at the foot of Mt. Fuji, and has been in existence for over 300 years since the Edo period. Wild burning is conducted every February, wild grasses are gathered from spring to fall, and thatching is done from December to February. Thanks to the cool and rainy climate, Gotemba’s thatch grows to over 2 meters in height.

Yodogawa City, Osaka Pref.
There are currently three reed fields remaining on the Yodo River, called Fushimi in Kyoto, Takatsuki Udono in Takatsuki, and Juso Tideland in Osaka. Of these, reeds are still being collected in Fushimi and Juso. The reeds in Juso are thin and short, 1.5 to 3 meters long, while those in Fushimi are long, reaching 3 to 4 meters. The reeds have been part of people’s lives since ancient times, and are said to be related to “Mitsunari Ishida ”in Fushimi and “Prince Shotoku” in Jyusan.

Maruyama Town, Shiga Pref.
Maruyama is located adjacent to a lake in Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, and has been harvested since the 16th century. Maruyama reeds have been used not only for thatched roofs but also for furnishings such as reed screens and reed doors, taking advantage of their shiny and beautiful characteristics. In addition to these products, the Lake Biwa reed flute and reed strand board have also been developed, and efforts are underway to create a new reed industry.

Hiruzen Mt, Maniwa City, Okayama Pref.
Hiruzen has been burned every spring for about 800 years, and has been used as green manure for fields and as material for thatched roofs and snow fences. The Hiruzen thatch used in this project was harvested by the “Hiruzen Thatch Harvesting and Shipping Association”, as well as by volunteers and local junior and senior high school students. The cooperative returns the profits from thatch sales to its members as a side business during the off-season.

Architectural Design Supervision：Kengo Kuma & Associates

Thatch production area used in EARTH MART：
Aso City, Kumamoto Pref. / Gotenba City, Shizuoka Pref. / Yodogawa City, Osaka Pref. / Maruyama Town, Shiga Pref. / Hiruzen Mt, Maniwa City, Okayama Pref.

Names of all thatching craftsmen：
OKIMOTO Taichi / SAGARA Ikuya / HIGUCHI Yuji / UEDA Tatsuo / YAMANAKA Wataru / ABE Yohei / KONISHI Kiichi / TSUKAMOTO Ruka / TAKAHASHI Kaho / KAWABATA Taiki / KUBOTA Kensuke / UEDA Ryuki / OTA Masato