Moonlight fills up the room. The scene laid out before you is one from the Noh play “Tōru” which takes place beside the Takasegawa river.

The artist of this piece, Yusuke Nakano, is an artist who draws inspiration from various art forms such as literature, manga, and traditional arts, using “plastic models” as the base for his multi-form art compositions. This piece has been envisioned as a “miniature diorama” of a scene from the Noh Play, “Tōru,” which takes place by the Takasegawa river which runs right next to this hotel. The man-made marble and carpeting used as materials in the room, are meant to represent the moon and the grass by the river respectively.

After you enter the room and take in the space, we ask that you flip the dimmer switch on the right side of the entrance to change the lighting in the room. By changing the lighting of the room, you can transition from the “blue” lighting of the moon reflecting off the high tides in the first half of the play, to the “white” lighting of the moon as the night transitions into dawn in the second half. These small shifts in your surroundings invite you to join the world of “Tōru” yourself.

How was the artist able to create this kind of atmosphere? We had a chance to sit down with him to discuss this.

--Please start by introducing yourself.

I go by either Yusuke Nakano or “Paramodel.” Paramodel is a two-man artist unit that was founded in 2003 and we have continued to work together since then. Lately, I have done a lot more solo pieces, but I always introduce myself under both the unit name and my own name. The concepts I’m working on and the way I do my work is connected to that, so I think it’s pretty much the same as what I do as a solo artist.

----When you are working under Paramodel, or as a solo artist, what kind of pieces do you create, and what kind of work do you usually do?

Well, the unit itself was formed so that we could do whatever we came up with whenever we wanted to. Though we are working on those pieces together. Contents wise, we like to think the work that we do is similar to a small boy who walks around with a plastic model or toy, playing with it wherever he goes. Though we realized things like this as we went along, we used a lot of toys and plastic models in our pieces. We feel like the nuances that can be found within that playful spirit is important and we have tried our best to preserve that.

Within that, I guess the most prevalent concept is “Pura-Rail.” You know, the blue plastic model train. Anyone would know it.

----Could you please explain the title, concept, and origin of this piece to us?

When I received this job offer, I suddenly remembered that I had worked a part-time job in this area about 20 years ago. Back then, I would often walk around this area, though I didn’t know anything about the history of the area back then. If you go south of the hotel, past Gojo Dōri, you will come to the Gojo Rakuen area. It’s no longer operating but this used to be a major red-light district. I used to love walking in that area. I don’t know how to explain it...but I’m sure if you walked in the area you would understand. Since it’s no longer operational the area feels kind of rustic and nostalgic, but there is a certain flavor to it--a depth, something amazing that you can’t quite name,

---There are these old buildings that have become a legacy of our culture...and then there is the overall atmosphere of the area..

I really am into the vibe in the area. And it’s right next to the Hotel! There is something special to this area, and I often tend to look into the different areas where I am doing work, so I decided to take a walk down to Gojo Rakuen. Though it has changed a bit since back then, it’s still an interesting place. Once you are in the area, there is a stone monument that stands out called “Minamoto-no-Tōru Kawara-in Ato.” There is also an enormous tree and it looks a bit suspicious. I was curious and walked closer. It appears that in the past there was an aristocratic family that used to live in almost the same area as Gojo Rakuen named “Minamoto-no-Tōru.” I decided to look further into it and found the Noh play “Tōru,” and discovered that a member of the Minamoto-no-Tōru family is the main protagonist! There is a Noh Play which was set in almost the same area as this hotel.

----So you’re saying that Noh play, or at least one of its scenes, was set here?

There is a famous Noh actor named Zeami Motokiyo that most Japanese people have heard of. Noh is a very traditional art form and there is always a set program for the plays. I have actually liked Noh since I was a child and I would often go see the plays. I actually have a piece that uses a Noh Program as it’s base. And the Noh play “Tōru” is actually the first play I ever saw. It was my introduction to the world of Noh.

---Is “Tōru” a famous play?

I don’t think it’s performed just anywhere. I actually saw the play on TV. It was being performed at the Noh stage that sits in the middle of the ocean at Itsukushima shrine in Hiroshima. “Tōru” was performed with the full moon illuminating the background. It was just so good and left a big impression on me, which was why I started to like Noh. So when I saw this stone monument, I couldn’t believe it. That alone was enough to make me want to incorporate the idea. I brainstormed on how I could use this play in the piece, and that’s how I came up with this idea.

---Do you have a message you would like to convey to the guests that stay here?

Well, first, I think everyone should feel free to interpret the room however they please. Second, I spoke a bit about the piece, but there are many different components at work here. You can try to interpret the piece like reading a book, or reading my intentions, or trying to decipher all the different parts. If you do that, you might be able to make some connections on your own. There will probably be many tourists staying in this hotel, and I think this kind of experience is also a part of that travel experience. There is the sightseeing where you go out from your norm and go around visiting the famous spots, and that is fine and all, but there is a different kind of “sightseeing” that can happen right here in this room. Isn’t that interesting as well?