WAAJ Kickoff Event

The WAAJ launched with a day of special programs open to the public on September 24, 2005 at the Wright-designed Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan in Mejiro, Tokyo. Despite an unseasonal typhoon, there were overflow audiences.

The day's highlights included a panel discussion with renowned architects Kisho Kurokawa and Hisao Kohyama, award-winning author Alex Kerr and the Wright Foundation's Margo Stipe, and the Japanese premiere of the acclaimed documentary Magnificent Obsession: Frank Lloyd Wright's Buildings and Legacy in Japan. There was also a model-building contest for children, a modern koto concert and an evening reception.

The event was supported by AIA Japan, Coca-Cola Asia, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Imperial Hotel, Japan Institute of Architects, Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan, Kokuyo, Mukogawa Women's University, Toshima Ward, UIFA Japon, United Airlines, U.S. Embassy in Japan and Yodogawa Steel.