Tekina-embedded Media as Shikake to Foster Communication A Study of Fieldwork in Sakuragaoka, Japan

Tekina () is a Japanese concept which refers metaphorical expressions. “Teki” functions as a metaphor when an individual desires to express a feeling or explain but is unable to find exact words to portray their point. Furthermore, we can use tekina to refer to an individual's way of thought and worldview. In this paper, we explore the potential of contents in which tekina is embedded in communication processes. The content that is produced acts as a connecting medium between the producer of the content and the audience who encounters the content. Thereon, our interactions with tekina-embedded contents can help us shape and reshape the relationship with our surroundings. To illustrate our point, we refer to examples of a class project conducted in 2018. In this project, students use their perspective, in other words their teki, as a measure to explore Sakuragaoka city in Shibuya. The students designed outputs which concludes the findings of the fieldwork. The results were shown to the public through the exhibition in March 2019. The exhibition setting further enabled us to examine how different individuals interact and form relationships with tekina-embedded outputs.