Does privacy have particular importance in Japanese culture?

Actually, Japanese people need less privacy than Western people, but I’m not talking about what Japanese people need. It’s a personal thing: people need the flexibility to decide for themselves.

How far have you gotten with this work?

My staff and former students have already started preparing the materials in Tokyo. I have started fund-raising. Now we’re looking for an appropriate place to begin. We are building a prototype at the evacuation facility in the city of Kanuma to show to the authorities and evacuees on March 24. If they accept it, we are going to mass-produce it.

How much have you raised?

So far, maybe $30,000. It’s enough to start.

Do you approve of the government-built temporary housing that displaced people will eventually occupy? Can it be improved?

Of course, it can be improved, with better interiors and site organization, but the important thing is speed. The amount of houses the government has to build in a short time is very big. If you try to make improvements, it’s endless. Also, there’s not so much empty land available. The government is trying to clear the destroyed area instead of building on top of the original land. Unfortunately, the houses will have to be built outside the area where residents used to live.

It’s reassuring that things appear to be moving fast.

The speed of recovery in Japan is very quick. I have been working in Italy for two years after the L’Aquila earthquake. The city center is still totally closed. Nothing’s happened.

Next month, you’re supposed to open a concert hall, made of your signature material, paper, in L’Aquila, to raise money for reconstruction. Is that project on schedule?