Water calling is the result of research into groundwater in Kyoto carried out in collaboration with Yoshiko Nagai. How is groundwater formed? How have local people developed a water-related culture?
In the 1990s, geophysical studies quantified the volume of water contained in the water table beneath the city, equivalent to that of Japan's largest lake, Biwako. They revealed the relationship between the depth of the bedrock, its composition and the quantity of water flowing through it. As far back as the Heian era (794-1192), the city's inhabitants were aware of the abundance of underground water, without being able to explain its origin or course.
Water calling recounts the evolution of the relationship between water and human beings, from the formation of the water table 5 million years ago, to the domestication of water, the emergence of a mythology and the deployment of urban space and networks. Each drawing is associated with an onomatopoeia, translating a water sound into Japanese. The translucent paper on both sides of the cover reveals a history of water in Kyoto.
Concept and drawings: Isabelle Daëron
Concept and text: Yoshiko Nagai
Graphic design: Hideyuki Saito
Publisher: Shoshi Saicoro
Available in Japan via Materia Prima
Available in France from Laurel Parker Book, Librairie Volume, Librairie sans titre, Librairie Cahier Central, Librairie Yvon Lambert
Photo credits: Yosuke Otake (1st photo)