Tokyo Construction

Until recently, there was a large space with two giant, derelict open warehouse buildings behind the kindergarten I work at in Meguro. They were there until the JCBs arrived. We’re on the 8th floor and for the past fortnight, watching the wrecking and disassembly of the buildings has been a brilliant daily distraction for teachers and toddlers alike. Well, for the boys- the girls are turned off while we all gape at the sheer power of it all and drool over hydraulics. Even the girls agree that the diggers look like dinosaurs though, and that’s got to be pretty cool by anyone’s book.

Normally hidden behind construction site barriers, I’ve seen those diggers exhibit their full repertoire of tricks, both delicate and destructive. The same clipper that makes matchsticks out of metal girders can pick up a hose pipe and drop it unscathed. The wrecking head that caves in a roof one second carefully nudges a cone out of the path of the digger the next. It’s awesome stuff.

However, the real stars of the show are undoubtedly the Japanese construction workers themselves. Late on one day we watched one worker demonstrating to another the perfect golf swing, using a piece of scrap metal. He actually walked him through it, showing how to swivel and move your body just like a pro on the fairway. Also, for no apparent reason, at least one worker will always aim a hose at whatever carnage the diggers are wreaking, and there always be one man dressed impeccably in uniform at the gate to the construction site.

Then one day the Shinto priest arrived. Barely visible from so high, tucked in a corner near the entrance stood a tiny torii gate. If it weren’t painted in the distinctive and eye-catching vermilion colour, we might never have noticed it. While chaos was orchestrated by the dinosaurs and the buildings came crashing down, the construction workers shielded the torii like it was the last living thing on earth- the entire site was covered in rubble and brick dust except for this one corner. The priest got straight down to business making peace with whatever god or spirit resided there. He cut an incongruous figure in ceremonial robes, standing shoulder to shoulder with the construction workers but asserted himself immediately, pushing them into the right place before beginning. It made for a hilarious slapstick scene and you could just hear him saying ‘No, not there, there!’ as they shuffled about awkwardly, helmets in hands. Next the priest threw some paper about, beat himself on the back of the shoulders with a stick of some sort and bowed and turned and bowed a lot. Clearly, I know about as much about the sacred rites as the construction workers. The next time I was able to glance down at the corner, the torii gate and the priest had gone. There should still be some buildings left though if you want to witness the greatest construction show in Tokyo.