Autumn Swordfish Issue 25: When Design Becomes Action

"Autumn Swordfish" Issue 25: When Design Becomes Action Last summer, Tokyo experienced a heatwave with temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius due to the urban heat island effect. Meanwhile, far out in Tokyo Bay, the "Sea of Forest" tree-planting initiative, launched by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, had successfully planted 240,000 trees, creating a lush forest on the water that will serve as the venue for next year's Olympic water sports. In contrast to large-scale urban planning, many creative professionals like Tadao Ando have, in recent years, leveraged their expertise to move beyond traditional outputs in areas like graphic design, product design, and architecture. They are now engaging with societal issues from diverse perspectives, making social change an increasingly everyday endeavor. As the third part of the "Design Trilogy Before 2020," "Autumn Swordfish," in line with the Japanese design community's growing focus on social issues, explores 10 facets—art, lifestyle, childcare, disability, vision, disaster prevention, elder care, food, shared experiences, and circular design—to understand with readers how Japan pursues a "better life" through design.