梵寿綱 in Daitabashi (The Facade)

The Von Jour Caux building pilgrimage continues with a visit to Daitabashi, where two of his buildings remain. (I originally planned to visit his Mundi Animus building in Sugamo, only to find out that it was torn down in 2008.)

This one (built in 1992) is a fairly large construction containing apartments, a coffee shop, and a convenience store. The gaudiness of the combini sign makes for an interesting contrast with the gaudiness of the building.

The entrance. That I was unable to get a shot of the entire building gives you an idea of how large it is, and how narrow the streets are. This was taken from across the street.

 The color scheme seems altogether incongruous.

 The shutters of the coffee shop.

  

Even the balcony receives the tile treatment.

 As always, the tiles have been painstakingly arranged.

 His buildings truly are all about the facade, but no part is left untouched.

 The side entrance.

 The back of the building.

梵寿綱 in Daitabashi (Lobby and the Courtyard)

The Von Jour Caux building in Daitabashi, now seen from the lobby.

Steps leading to the elevator.

Artwork on the left wall.

A closer look at the steps.

Elevator and ceiling. Unlike his other buildings, this one had security cameras.

 

 What you see when you stand in the lobby and look up.

 

Path leading to the courtyard, a surprise considering the decidedly plain interiors his other buildings have. 

I wanted to give this hallway a good hosing and get the accumulated grime off.

 

There were framed articles hung in the hallway detailing the players involved with the construction of this building. 

 The courtyard, which looks more like a cafe space. I hope the residents are taking advantage of this spot.

A look at the individual apartments. For all the grandeur, Von Jour Caux's buildings have always been surprisingly affordable. This building has 2DK (two rooms, a dining room, and a kitchen) and 2LDK (two rooms, a living room, dining room, and kitchen) rooms available from around 140,000 yen. Considering the exorbitant prices for renting in Tokyo, this isn't so bad.

梵寿綱 in Daitabashi (From the Side Door)

 Here is the side door to the Von Jour Caux building in Daitabashi.

The light immediately above the side door entrance.

 Immediately upon entering, you are confronted with this thing.

It is actually an elephant.

 Go right, and you find yourself headed towards the courtyard.

This is the ceiling.

 I found this too much like a trail of blood.

Go left at the entrance and you go down an unexpectedly tranquil-looking staircase, but it only leads to the garbage disposal area.

Von Jour Caux's La Porta Izumi *map updated

Next stop on the Von Jour Caux hunt: La Porta Izumi, about two minutes' walk away from the other building in Daitabashi.

Wowza, you think, but the building (built only in 1990) looked fairly neglected and on its way to becoming dilapidated. I should have photographed the door patched up with bits of masking tape.

These corkscrews of iron were used strategically in the lobby as well.

 The poor animal face is all covered up by untended plants.

 The building viewed from the side.

 From behind the building, it looks like something else altogether.

The majestic lady is fortunately not just two-dimensional. The painted glass (not stained), along with molded cement (not marble) is Von Jour Caux and his team's major concession to creating affordable housing. 

Mailboxes are to the left, rooms are past the door on the right.

I'm sure that not even the residents are aware of all the small details hiding in plain sight.

 

Octopus stairs. 

I ran into an inhabitant who seemed both mildly suspicious and bemused by my curiosity. He helpfully pointed out the other building in Daitabashi. He must see this all the time.

While trying to find out more information on Von Jour Caux's buildings, I came across his Facebook page. It's surprisingly active, although it's hard to tell whether the 78-year-old himself is updating it or not.

 

In honor of paying it forward, here is a map of all known Von Jour Caux buildings. Be warned: they contain even his generic-looking works. (Sensible buildings pay the bills.)

 The tiling on the wall, with the entrance to the right.

Kitazawa Mysteries

In Daitabashi. The area near the station, along the highway, had been defaced by a stream of graffiti -- all presumably by one person. You can't see it from this angle, but it's an inchworm.

 Lavish use of paint caused pink and silver to pool on the ground.

 

A curio of a place. The sign says "Hidden", but the words "Open" are molded onto the wall near the door. So which is it?

Little Okinawa

In Daitabashi, on my way to see the Von Jour Caux buildings. I didn't expect this strangeness: a shopping arcade proudly calling itself "Okinawa Town". Its roots are organic -- this area was home to a renowned Okinawan scholar, and many Okinawans supposedly settled down here -- but the street was born out of a concerted effort to revitalize the town.

Out of the 74 shops in the arcade, a surprising number are Okinawan restaurants. (Is there such a high demand for them?) Others show their support by decorating their spaces with Okinawa iconography. See the Shisa (lion-dog figures that ward against evil) in clay and paper form on the right bottom and right top of the photo above.

A more convincing demonstration of Okinawan culture: sanshin (an Okinawan folk instrument) lessons for young people. They were all practicing, "Happy Birthday".

A shisa, perhaps, rendered with shells.

Despite their efforts, the area has a shabby, lonely feel. You can definitely feel the effects of the aging population here.

Two old ladies, keeping warm with a portable stove and selling homemade food. They were enjoying a nice gabfest.