Cultural Typhoon 2024 Kobe
Manifesto

‘Anchor/Anger Aweigh? This is the grand theme of this year’s Cultural Typhoon.
Anchor AND Anger, BOTH.

After 13 years, Cultural Typhoon comes back to Kobe, a port city, on 22 and 23 September 2024.
Although the port used to be the hub of mobility, the gateway to the outer world and the entry gate for those who wish to come inside the border, it has now become merely an industrial logistic space for goods and wastes. Yet, there are still quite a few traces where historical crossings and mixing ups of things, humans, thoughts, information and cultures are proved, and novel attempts are found to look ahead at new horizons. Then, can we create a navigation chart that enables us to reach toward the new horizon and to imagine new cultures and new societies so as not to get stranded ?
The world is increasingly becoming a difficult place to breathe. While we want to lifted anchor and sail off towards somewhere more critical and exciting, war, genocide, hatred and climate catastrophe never cease, and life remains miserable. Nonetheless, mega-events such as Osaka Expo 2025 seem     to survive despite the fact that many are still suffering from the consequence of the disaster. Protest and dissent are seen as ‘scary’. What a weird world we live ?
Even if the anchor is lifted, we can only become drifters. Even if anger is expressed, we can only be viewed as threatening. How shall we get out of this misty bother?

We dare ask, then: why don’t we get our anchor/anger aweigh?

Cultural Typhoon Kobe takes place at two different locations: KIITO, Kobe Design and Creative Centre near Port of Kobe, San’nomiya, and Nishinada District, Nada Ward.
KIITO is a renovated facility that used to be the Municipal Raw Silk Conditioning House, a dynamo of the early industrial modernization in Japan. Kobe used to enjoy its port life and tourism initiatives are currently promoting diversity and multiculturalism thanks to this historic heritage. However, is Kobe actually safe and comfortable for sexual minorities? Do immigrants and their kids live their lives as they wish? Where can the youth create their place? Is the situation the same or similar in other cities too? Let us come and think together at KIITO?
Although many shopping arcades have been essential for the public life just a few can manage to enjoy the lively environment nowadays. With the mass scale down of port economy and the slump of individual retailing business, many arcades are struggling to cope with inadequacy of successors, competition with large scale shopping malls and decreasing consumers. The good old days, however, have primarily been sustained thanks to ‘housewives’ who could stroll around and shop in daytime. Shall we say that the way shops are run and manage does not fit in the changing reality of family and lifestyle, employment form and gender roles? Is there any innovative, new challenge going on? Let us come and think together in Kobe this autumn.
Attention is not exclusively paid to Kobe, needless to say. Whether a port city or not, there must be many other cities and places where the anchor is planned to be lifted and anger is about to come out. Please bring in ideas, thoughts, plans and proposals to Kobe in September. Let us share our experiences. No need for ‘complete works’ in Cultural Typhoon. Trial, error and re-try are very welcome from all the four corners of the world. Call for papers and details on topics will be announced on 15th April. Please look forward to it.