Hong Kong is a city where the “old” and the “new” coexist side by side. The city’s urban landscape reflects the conflict between traditional and contemporary architecture and design brought about by the city’s rapid modernization and urbanization. The city’s older structures, like the colonial-era Flagstaff House, which depicts the city’s history and the influence of Western culture, are on the one hand. On the other hand, there are the cutting-edge skyscrapers and high-rise structures that control the city’s skyline and symbolize its globalization and rapid growth. Despite these differences, Hong Kong is a city where the “old” and the

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Tokyo seems to be the ideal target practice location for all nations and beyond within the film universe, whether it is devastating wars or monsters the size of skyscrapers, Japan has constantly been under attack. However, this narrative is not altogether just fiction as the history of Japan seems to support it.  The idea of destruction and reconstruction strongly matches the connotations of Tokyo for the rest of the world. Tokyo is seen to be the hub of developing and functioning on the bleeding edge of technology. However, the issue with the bleeding edge is that it is ‘bleeding’. This

Continue reading[READING RESPONSE] Tsutsui W.M. (2010). Oh No, There Goes Tokyo

The article, ‘Building on Disappearance’, written by Abbas, introduced a significant concept/ relationship —— disappearance of history and colonial space. Spaces in Hong Kong once colonized by Britain, now back to mainland China represents will how the ‘disappearance’ as a form of the visual art. The writer explained further about disappearance in the context of Hong Kong by three real building which results in different aspects of the notion of disappearance. The purpose of preservation of the clock tower located in Hong Kong Cultural Center reflects small or even negative impacts to present the sense of community, since its preservation

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The consistent appearance of the destruction of cities in Japanese movies is closely associated with its history and culture. Japan has always been vulnerable to numerous disasters from natural (tsunamis, earthquakes) to manmade (wars), and these disaster films seem to act as memory and therapy of the society. Because of the optimism present in society, the movies usually have a happy ending in which the Japanese people defeat the catastrophe and rebuild the society instantly, and this symbolizes the faith of citizens that the nation would always reboom and revive, which further promotes the unity among Japanese people. For the

Continue readingReading Response: Tsutsui W.M.

The reading ‘Hong Kong: Culture and the Politics of Disappearance’ mentioned the concept of ‘disappearance’ in Hong Kong, which refers to the erasure of cultural and political identity under the influence of colonialism and globalization. Regarding the reading, “disappearance” refers to the loss of cultural and political identity in Hong Kong due to colonialism and globalization. It poses a threat to Hong Kong’s cultural practices, language, literature, and film, reflecting the conflict between regional and international forces. It also symbolizes the time’s fight for democracy and human rights. Hong Kong Cultural Center, Flagstaff House, and Repulse Bay Hotel as examples,

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The two readings discuss urban spaces in Hong Kong and Tokyo respectively. While both cities are global and financial cities, with a mixture of real, surreal, and hyperreal types of urban spaces in Isozaki and Asada’s typology. Despite sharing similarities, Hong Kong and Tokyo have distinct urban identities shaped by their unique historical backgrounds and cultures. In the first reading, Abbas describes Hong Kong as a space of disappearance. Due to the colonial handover and economic restructuring, Hong Kong has undergone significant cultural changes. Old buildings are continuously being replaced, revitalized, or reconstructed. For example, Flagstaff House, a Western-style architecture,

Continue readingReading Response: Abbas, M.A. & Tsutsui W.M.