Author: Jan Haenraets

Lines on the Shore: Olive Bay Hotel on Oshima Island, Japan

In our series of articles about the islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture, this article looks at a recent example of contemporary architecture on Oshima Island (Ōshima), Saikai City district, Japan. The Olive Bay Hotel with architectural design by Kengo Kuma blends the remote and tranquil island environments of the region’s volcanic coast and the industrial context, with a luxurious retreat atmosphere. …

Contaminating India’s Largest Freshwater Lake: Garbage Dumping and Landfilling at Wular Lake, Kashmir

In May 2017 an article was published in Kashmir by Owais Farooqi to raise the problem of landfilling and contamination through garbage dumping at Wular Lake, Kashmir. Wular Lake is India’s largest freshwater lake. I personally see this, and the wider issue of garbage dumping in Kashmir, as incomprehensible and decided to republish the link to Farooqi’s …

The Sea and the Mountain in a Sacred Dance: Itsukushima and Mount Misen, Japan

The Island of Itsukushima is located in the Seto Inland Sea (Setonaikai), in the Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is one of about 3,000 islands that are part of the Setonaikai National Park (瀬戸内海国立公園), which was designated in 1934 (Setonaikai National Park, 2017). Miyajima (宮島町, Miyajima-chō) is the historic town located on the island of Itsukushima. …

The Absence of Equality and Seeking the Change: The New National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Washington, D.C.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) opened on September 24, 2016, in Washington, D.C., in a ceremony led by U.S. President Barack Obama. It is a Smithsonian Institution museum and has over 36,000 objects in its collection. It is a tour de force in covering extremely important, tough, and still often ignored subject areas within public …

Winter in the Forest: Boulder Park in Chester-Blandford State Park, MA, USA

Boulder Park is located in the Chester-Blandford State Forest, in the scenic Berkshire Hills of New England, USA. I stumbled upon this hidden treasure, an early twentieth century recreational park, a day after one of the first snowy days of the winter in Eastern Massachusetts. In this beautiful forested landscape the mystical Boulder Park offers glacial history together …