Obayashi Quarterly No.65

"Earth"

The earth nurtures life and sustains the rich natural environments that surround us. We live each day benefiting from its blessings. How did the earth come into being? And is there land on planets beyond Earth?
This issue explores the diverse and colorful landscapes found around the world and the ways in which they are intertwined with people’s lives. We also trace the geological processes that have shaped these distinctive landscapes. In the Obayashi Project, we took on the ambitious challenge of conceptualizing the creation of habitable terrain and the development of an environment capable of sustaining life inside a Martian crater.
We reflect on the richness and significance of the natural world nurtured by the earth and turn our thoughts to the future of our planet’s environment.
(Published in 2026)

The Colors and Expressions of the Earth

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Earth's Soil and Planetary Soil

FUJII Kazumichi
(Unit Leader, Soil Homeostasis Research Unit, Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation)

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Who Owns Land in Space?: Rethinking the Ethics of Terraforming

MOTOMURA Yukiko
(Special Visiting Professor, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University; Guest Editor, The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd.)

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Terraforming: Ecosynthesis and Ecological Restoration on Mars

Christopher P. McKay
(Planetary Scientist; Senior Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center)

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OBAYASHI PROJECT

Creating Habitable Terrain on Mars: Crater Paraterraforming

Concept: Obayashi Project Team

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Dreams of the Red Earth: Five Hundred Years of Martian Settlement

TAKEUCHI Kaoru
(Science Writer; Professor, Faculty of Social Informatics, ZEN University)

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The "Earthen Houses" of Iceland

FUJIMORI Terunobu
(Architectural historian and architect; Director, Tokyo Metropolitan Edo-Tokyo Museum; and Emeritus Professor, University of Tokyo)

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The Earth's Memory: Landscapes Shaped by Nature and Human Life

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