Masako Takahashi urges preservation of Ruth Asawa's Osaka Way art installation

During a recent San Francisco government meeting, Masako Takahashi from the Takahashi Foundation passionately urged city officials to preserve the Ruth Asawa art installation known as Osaka Way. Takahashi highlighted the installation's historical significance and its current state of disrepair, emphasizing the need for restoration rather than redesign.

Osaka Way, which features iconic elements such as origami fountains and sculpted benches by Ruth Asawa, has been a cultural landmark for decades. However, city plans to rename the area as Buchanan Mall threaten to erase its Japanese identity. Takahashi expressed concern that the proposed changes would replace Asawa's designs with a more generic shopping mall aesthetic, undermining the original vision intended to honor Japantown.

Takahashi shared her personal connection to the area, recalling her family's history in the Fillmore District and their friendship with Asawa. She noted that while the city has allocated funds to repair the non-functioning fountains, the overall redesign of the mall could obstruct the flow of traffic and detract from the artistic integrity of the installation.

As public comments concluded, Takahashi encouraged attendees to consider the importance of preserving cultural heritage and to reach out for further discussion on the matter. The meeting underscored the ongoing tension between urban development and the preservation of historical and cultural landmarks in San Francisco.