【FOCUS IT.] Nakaya Ukichiro Nakatani, a man of art and the science of snow. Sixty years after his death, why did the people of the world gather to hear his legacy?

"A letter sent from heaven."

It was Nakaya Ukichiro Nakaya who described the snow falling from the winter sky as such. He is a snow scientist.

Even from a single sentence, one can read his meticulous sensitivity, and it is very interesting to hear how he came to express himself in such a way. It is surprising that 60 years after his death, his legacy is being passed down from one generation to the next.

Perhaps the reason for this is Ukichiro Nakatani's constant curiosity and soft sensitivity, in short, his "human power. If we were to apply an adjective, the word "hip," which HOUYHNHNM has been advocating for a long time, might be close to it.

, a double-striped suit with an over-checked tie.
*Photo courtesy of Nakatani Ukichiro Memorial Foundation

He was born in 1900 in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, in the hot spring of Shinsatsu. He was inspired by a collection of photographs of snow crystals taken by Wilson Bentley, an American farmer, and spent the rest of his life studying snow and ice.

The crystals were classified into various shapes, and the type of crystals produced under various weather conditions was investigated. To confirm their hypothesis, they worked hard to create artificial snow crystals, and in 1963, they finally produced the world's first artificial snow crystals.

. So far, this is just a business card. If you are impressed that he is a scientist who has accomplished a great deal, Ukichiro in heaven will be saddened. But that is not the only thing that makes him interesting.

He not only studied crystals, but also made his findings widely known to the general public through various means of expression.

A number of Ukichiro's books. . The contents are not only about his research on snow, but also about his family, the people around him, and the atmosphere of Japan at that time. . All of them are good writings that loosely touch the core of things.

Tools used for ink painting. Even though it is a hobby, one can feel the marks of careful examination and selection in each of them.

Sometimes he filmed his experiments and made documentary films, and sometimes he made ink paintings of crystals. Furthermore, as a grandson and disciple of Soseki Natsume, he left behind a witty account of snow in his writings.

The opening sentence, "A letter sent from the heavens," is a very typical choice of words by Ukichiro, who is a gifted writer, as it includes the meaning that "snowflakes tell people on earth about the state of the sky.

I believe that by bringing science into the field of culture and art, they were trying to express a profundity that does not appear in numbers, in other words, the "heart of science.

He wanted to dispel the image of "science" as an education for a limited number of people, and wanted people to understand that it was something that was close to their daily lives. In fact, Ukichiro's research on snow helped him solve the problem of freezing over, which causes railroad tracks to rise, and he also confronted the difficult problem of icing on airplanes.

His free and uninhibited behavior, which goes beyond the common image of a scientist, attracts people to him.

Lore 1. Snow Science Museum

The Nakaya Ukichiro Snow Science Museum was built in 1994 to record his research and to preserve evidence of his life.

The exhibits are organized in such a way that visitors can trace the trajectory of his research, and even his favorite clothes and stationery, allowing them to get to know Ukichiro as a whole person. The museum also exhibits research conducted after Ukichiro's death, which is why it is called a "science museum" rather than a memorial hall.

. A building that looks like three crystals lined up in a row. It was designed by Arata Isozaki, who won the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel Prize in architecture, and is known for having built the Tsukuba Center Building.

A beautiful archway leads to the entrance of the science museum. It is as if it beckons you into a secret exhibition hall.
*Photo courtesy of Nakaya Ukichiro Snow Science Museum

From left to right, his favorite drafting set, abacus , and pens he used when writing. . Although they show signs of having been used, they all seem to have been kept in good condition.

Business cards and a leather case for storing high-colored cards, which he ordered in London, are lined up in a row. The extraordinary attention to detail in his possessions can be seen.

Lore 2. FISCHER

Austrian-born ski brandFISCHER. was also impressed by Ukichiro's efforts.

The brand handles ski boards and boots specialized for Alpine and Nordic skiing, and supports many world-class athletes with its equipment. Moved by the achievements of Ukichiro Nakatani, whose common denominator is "snow," a talk show was held with the cooperation of the Science Museum on a certain date in January.

Yoshizumi Furukawa, director of the Science Museum, and Ken Odajima from the "Fisher" Business Group spoke on the topic of "Snow Classroom: About Snow and Ski Equipment. They had a passionate discussion about protecting snow fields, which are being threatened by environmental issues, and about connecting snow activities to the future.

If you are interested in this, please do not hesitate to contact us.videofor more information.

Yoshizumi Furukawa, director of the Science Museum .

Mr. Ken Odajima of the "Fisher" Business Group

Lore 3. "Iguanodon".

Koko Akinuki, who moderated the earlier talk show (Eizo Workshop(KATAYAMAZU-ONSEN) is a fanzine that focuses on the little-known attractions of Ukichiro's hometown, Katayamazu Onsen, and is published by the KATAYAMAZU-ONSEN Foundation.iguanodon.

It is too dense to be called a town magazine, and while reconfirming Ukichiro's achievements, it describes the hot spring resort, geiko, and soap operators that are indispensable when talking about Katayamazu. The history of the once-defunct hot spring resort is also unraveled in its entirety.

Each ¥330
*Available at cafes in Katayamazu Onsen, the Snow Science Museum, and online.

Koko Akenuki (Eizo Workshop).

Tradition 4. Katayamazu Onsen Tourist Association

As "Iguanodon" introduces, Nakatani Ukichiro and Katayamazu still have a lot of picks to dig out. To further boost the area, the tourist association has launched a number of events over the past few years.

The project will light up a place that has been vacant for a long time and hold a number of events that will bring people together. By increasing interaction among locals and holding events at stores and facilities, the number of tourists will naturally increase, and the area will once again function as a tourist destination.

The "Super Hot Springs Heaven Festival: Let's Get Nostalgic 2" was held from December 17 (Fri.) to January 16 (Sun.), with stalls lined up like a fair, attracting young and old alike.

The footbaths in town are also brightly lit, and the walls are illustrated with hand-painted associations led by Chalk Boy, "WHW!

Decades ago, this restaurant filled the stomachs of Katayamadu residents. Nowadays, the restaurant is illuminated with photos of the event's members.

The stage where geiko used to perform their art is now a photo spot.

The signboards of famous stores that used to be popular in the city but are no longer there have been reprinted. This place is also a popular spot for photo shoots.

Lore 5: Fujiko Nakaya

Fujiko Nakaya is a fog sculptor and video artist . As Ukichiro's second daughter, she was the closest person to see his work, and she should not be forgotten.

In the winter of 2017, he exhibited at the Ginza Maison Hermes Forum, a gallery run by Hermes, and is one of the most important figures in contemporary art. The most distinctive feature of his work is the disclosure of the process. The process of observing, recording, and reproducing nature and the environment, which is constantly changing, is the very process of his work.

By showing the process to the viewer, he makes the viewer feel the underlying nature vs. technology/nature vs. human relationship. It seems to me that he has inherited the ideas of his father, Ukichiro.

Fujiko Nakaya's work "Greenland Glacier Field" Fog Garden #47704, a permanent installation in the courtyard of the Snow Science Museum.

———–

Ukichiro's achievements and his insatiable spirit of inquiry are still being passed down through the generations. If each of Ukichiro's legacies is a dot, perhaps what they are trying to do is to savor and connect the dots, and reinterpret them in the modern age.

HOUYHNHNM's idea of a "hip" person, by the way, is not someone who is called a fashionista, but someone who is more content inside than dressing up. They have their own style and are respected for what they do and think.

If we go back to the beginning, Ukichiro is, after all, a person for whom those three letters are appropriate.