Poet-curator Nilanjan Bandyopadhyay has embarked on the creative experiment in the centenary year of the Nobel laureate’s first Japan visit

Christened Kokoro – the Japanese word for heart – the cross-cultural creative experiment is the brainchild of poet-curator- calligrapher Nilanjan Bandyopadhyay, who himself is an ardent admirer of Japanese culture and people.

“My venture is inspired by Tagore’s dream,” said Bandyopadhyay, who started building the traditional Japanese house-cum studio on a 3,240 sq ft plot in 2016, the centenary year of the Nobel laureate’s first Japan visit. 

A six-member Japanese team are combining traditional elements to create the feel of a contemporary Japanese home. 

The team led by an architect Kengo Sato, who got in touch with Bandyopadhyay on Facebook, arrived in the university town in December to build the piece of Japan. 

Other members of the team are: Kazuhiro Aoshima (carpenter), Miku Watanabe (fashion designer), Nobuhiko Kawahara (doll maker), Shigeru Sebe (painter) and Sayuri Hashimoto (mending designer). 

They plan to stay till the end of January to complete the work. 

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