A former member of the Portuguese national rugby squad, Miguel is a man with a vision – to cultivate design and creativity in the Daimyo area as a way of improving city life and benefiting the economy. Entitled “Daimyo Design District”, the initiative forms part of his master’s degree in Sustainable Architecture for which he received a government scholarship. Miguel’s interest in Daimyo dates back to when he first came to Japan as an exchange student in 2006. Spending two months in Tokyo and four in Fukuoka, he realized that Daimyo had a character and dynamic unique in the city and even in Japan. Since the late 90’s, Daimyo has been a hub of creative energy, with many young artists setting up shop there because of the high rents in Tenjin. Using his fresh perspective as a foreigner , Miguel aspires to revitalize the area in the face of the global economic crisis and competition from department stores like Parco. The main aim of his project is to promote cooperation between businesses and encourage them to organize events and entertainment to generate public interest. As for his own favorite Daimyo hang-out? “I like Bal Musette and its outside terrace, it’s very cosmopolitan.”
Fukuoka Now caught up with the architect to talk strategies, spaces and student life in Fukuoka.
Tell me about your background, what did you study at university?
I studied urban design and architecture at Lisbon Technical University and then four years ago in my final year I came on an exchange program to Japan. I stayed six months in Japan – four months in Fukuoka and two months in Tokyo. Then I went back to Portugal and graduated. I worked for one year and then I received a scholarship from the Japanese government so I came back to do my Master’s course here in Fukuoka at Kyushu University.
Which did you prefer, Fukuoka or Tokyo?
Fukuoka, because it’s a liveable city – one of the most liveable cities in Japan. We have the beach nearby and mountains, and also it’s a walkable city. There’s shopping everywhere, it has the river and the yatai.
Why were you interested in coming to Japan in the first place?
Because I needed some important adventure, a challenge, in my life so I decided to come to Japan. I play rugby, so I was invited to go to Macao, a former Portuguese colony (now a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China, along with Hong Kong), by the team there to play in a weekend tournament in Manila. I used to play for the Portuguese national team until I was 22 and I went to the under-20’s World Cup in Chile, South America. I had some relatives in Macao, so I went and then I travelled around China for one month. That got me interested in Asia, but I was also interested in Japan specifically because growing up my father was very interested in Japanese culture. We would go to Japanese restaurants and buy things from Muji Ruji, the shop. So from a young age, I grew up with the idea that Japan was an interesting country.
When did you become interested in architecture?
My father is in advertising, my mother is a psychologist, my sister is an illustrator so I come from an artistic family. Architecture, maybe more so urban design is my interest, because I like to think cities, I like to think spaces. An architect has the power of creating a good environment.
What have you found to be the biggest difference between the university system here in Japan and the university system in Portugal / in the West?
I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older, but things are much easier here. It’s not so difficult to pass or to get credits. Also, the education system now in Japan is more globalized, for example we speak about Asia and about problems around the world related to sustainability. In that sense I think here it’s better than in Europe. I found there that the focus is more on our country, on our things.
What do you find is the biggest difference in student life between Europe and here?
Presence is important in Japanese culture so here they’re more focussed on campus life, going there, being there, than on enjoying life. Students live near the university campus, they don’t leave so much and I think this is the best time to live, during your student years – to enjoy life, enjoy seeing things, to travel and communicate with people from other countries. I think here they don’t have that kind of mindset.
Tell me about your initiative “Daimyo Design District”.
When I came to Fukuoka for the first time four years ago I realized that Daimyo had a dynamic completely different from the rest of Fukuoka, and even from the rest of Japan. The objective of my initiative is to bring back the old concept of Daimyo as a creative community. Because the prices in Tenjin were very high, many young artists went to Daimyo to open small shops – arts and crafts, vintage shops – where they could create their work. Daimyo is now suffering the consequences of the global economic crisis. Daimyo also now has competition from department stores like Parco. The most important point of this project is to promote cooperation between all the people who work and live in Daimyo – between all the economic agents and the residents and also the City government if possible. The aim of the project is to improve life not only for the people who work there but also for residents and tourists. The project is to do with “place-making”, which is related to branding cities. In other words, not only creating places with infrastructure like buildings but also giving some activity because that’s what’s important – not only creating plazas but what’s happening in them – creating some strategies for events, a program of activities. This is what I want to do in the future, not only architecture and urban design, but create place-making strategies for cities.
What inspired this project?
As I told you, I received this scholarship from the Japanese government, so in a way I want to repay them for this opportunity and also as a foreigner, as an outsider living in Fukuoka I can see there are some things that Fukuoka needs to do for it to become a more appealing city, not only for tourists but also for people who live here. I have a friend in Portugal who was involved in the same kind of project in Lisbon – creating a design district.
What have some of your other projects in Japan been?
We developed some concepts in the laboratory for the Suzaki port area to use old storage houses and convert them into spaces where young artists and creative industries could operate, with some events like music. Fukuoka is considered one of the most creative places in Japan – many creative people come from here, like many J-pop artists. It could be a nice area by the water because water is one of the most important elements of Fukuoka, as the gateway to the Asian continent. Also related to the Suzaki area I had a container project for a portable cafe that could be moved to other areas of the city. These projects remained at the conceptual stage – the problem is funds, as a foreigner sometimes it’s difficult to get that sponsorship.
What’s your favorite place in Fukuoka?
I like Bal Musette because of the outside terrace, it’s a French fusion restaurant in Daimyo. It’s very cosmopolitan.
What are your future plans?
I’ve been here 2 years and I plan to stay one more year until next March / April. The master’s course is 2 years, but before I began it I spent one year as a research student learning Japanese.
I know that I don’t want to work in an architecture office. I want to do this place-making thing. Maybe I will go back to Portugal and open a company with my two friends providing strategies to cities, buildings and shops, using my background in urban design and my friends’ backgrounds in planning cities and marketing. Or maybe I will go to New York and get some experience in advertising.
What are your hobbies?
Surfing – I surf in Mitoma, I get the subway there. It’s good during hurricane season. I used to play rugby, I played with Kyushu University when I was an exchange student. I played on the Portugese team up to two years ago, but there’s still no professional rugby in Portugal.
What’s it like being a foreign student in Japan?
I became more balanced here in Japan. I think Japan is a very good experience to get to know more about yourself, to understand how to live by yourself – you can spend a day without speaking to anyone.
The biggest challenge is Japanese language – doing the course through Japanese. They want to internationalize Kyushu University, they want many foreigners to come and study there, so for me as a European they’re more flexible with me about language – I can write some of my reports through English.
Finally, any advice for other foreign students?
Learn Japanese and be yourself – don’t try to change who you are just because you’re in Japan.
Miguel can be contacted by email: mfalcaof@gmail.com
Hometown: Lisbon, Portugal
In Japan: 2 years
Identity: Architect / Master student
Interview and text by Una Geary
Originally published in Fukuoka Now magazine (fn139, Jul. 2010)
