Japan Houzz Tour: A Home Built With Traditional Japanese Methods
Local craftspeople shared building traditions that have been passed down the generations in this build
Miki Anzai
3 July 2021
This traditional Japanese home stands nestled in a 2⅓-acre grove of trees on a hill on Kashikojima Island in Mie Prefecture – best known outside of Japan as the location of the G7 Ise-Shima Summit. The property overlooks Ago Bay, famous for its traditional pearl diving.
The owners chose to reflect the island’s rich history and the home’s natural surroundings in its construction. The house is mainly made of the wood, soil, and stones gathered in the immediate vicinity. Its supports are constructed of wood recycled from pearl divers’ rafts, connecting the home directly to the heritage of Ago Bay. Guided by a local architect and a construction firm that has passed traditional building techniques down through the generations, owners Kazuhiko and Chizuru Takeuchi and their friends and relatives helped build this home with their own hands.
The owners chose to reflect the island’s rich history and the home’s natural surroundings in its construction. The house is mainly made of the wood, soil, and stones gathered in the immediate vicinity. Its supports are constructed of wood recycled from pearl divers’ rafts, connecting the home directly to the heritage of Ago Bay. Guided by a local architect and a construction firm that has passed traditional building techniques down through the generations, owners Kazuhiko and Chizuru Takeuchi and their friends and relatives helped build this home with their own hands.
Photos by Jiu Iwasaki, Hoonoki Works
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Shima City, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Who lives here? Kazuhiko and Chizuru Takeuchi and their two dogs, Nico and Suzu
Site area: 498 square metres
Building footprint: 67.5 square metres
Total floor area: 59 square metres
Design: m5_architecte First-Class Architectural Design Office (Motoharu Mutsuura)
Construction: Tatsuya & Daichi Higashihara of Higashihara Architects
Completion date: 2020
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Shima City, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Who lives here? Kazuhiko and Chizuru Takeuchi and their two dogs, Nico and Suzu
Site area: 498 square metres
Building footprint: 67.5 square metres
Total floor area: 59 square metres
Design: m5_architecte First-Class Architectural Design Office (Motoharu Mutsuura)
Construction: Tatsuya & Daichi Higashihara of Higashihara Architects
Completion date: 2020
Chizuru works in the garden while Kazuhiku looks on
When the Takeuchis first visited this hilltop, a historical building was already standing there. The 85-year-old house looked like it was about to be swallowed by its natural surroundings, but Chizuru felt that taking proper care of the land and renovating the building as a historical site would be a huge boon to the local area.
She reached out to architect Motoharu Mutsuura and to father-son pair Tatsuya Higashihara and Daichi Higashihara, who run a well-known local construction firm versed in traditional construction techniques.
The professionals were inspired by the project. The old residence of the Inoko family, as the renovated building has come to be known, was listed as tangible cultural property in 2018. The team turned it into a sightseeing spot to attract tourists to the area.
So they could be on-site to manage the property, the couple built a home for themselves just to the east of this historical building. It is this home that is the subject of our tour.
See more photos of the Inoko family residence
When the Takeuchis first visited this hilltop, a historical building was already standing there. The 85-year-old house looked like it was about to be swallowed by its natural surroundings, but Chizuru felt that taking proper care of the land and renovating the building as a historical site would be a huge boon to the local area.
She reached out to architect Motoharu Mutsuura and to father-son pair Tatsuya Higashihara and Daichi Higashihara, who run a well-known local construction firm versed in traditional construction techniques.
The professionals were inspired by the project. The old residence of the Inoko family, as the renovated building has come to be known, was listed as tangible cultural property in 2018. The team turned it into a sightseeing spot to attract tourists to the area.
So they could be on-site to manage the property, the couple built a home for themselves just to the east of this historical building. It is this home that is the subject of our tour.
See more photos of the Inoko family residence
The Takeuchi residence rests on stones from the surrounding area. This technique, called ishiba-date, was widely used in temple and shrine construction up to the early modern period. This method has recently come to be especially prized for its earthquake resistance.
This was the first time the son, Daichi Higashihara took the reins on a construction project. Here he is pictured adjusting a weight
The team used the traditional yoitomake technique to pack the ground beneath the foundation stones. They assembled three logs into a pyramid shape, with a weight – made by the Higashiharas – suspended underneath and controlled by pulleys. The owners and their friends helped assemble and operate the device.
The team used the traditional yoitomake technique to pack the ground beneath the foundation stones. They assembled three logs into a pyramid shape, with a weight – made by the Higashiharas – suspended underneath and controlled by pulleys. The owners and their friends helped assemble and operate the device.
The owners (right) speak with one of the people working on the project
One of the most prominent features of this house is the so-called scissor truss, with diagonal ikada beams – made out of raft logs of thinned cypress – criss-crossed in a scissor shape to support the ceiling. This kind of structural framework, preferred by architect Antonin Raymond, was also favoured by the Japanese architect Shuichi Tsubata, who studied under Raymond and adopted the technique in his own home.
“When this job was entrusted to me, I looked at Mr and Mrs Takeuchi with their fondness for natural life, and saw Mr and Mrs Tsubata in them. So, I proposed a Raymond-like scissor truss made of ikada beams,” says Higashihara.
As it happens, Chizuru had taken a course with the late Shuichi Tsubata herself, and had visited their home. So, the owners were able to take inspiration from the Tusbata house.
One of the most prominent features of this house is the so-called scissor truss, with diagonal ikada beams – made out of raft logs of thinned cypress – criss-crossed in a scissor shape to support the ceiling. This kind of structural framework, preferred by architect Antonin Raymond, was also favoured by the Japanese architect Shuichi Tsubata, who studied under Raymond and adopted the technique in his own home.
“When this job was entrusted to me, I looked at Mr and Mrs Takeuchi with their fondness for natural life, and saw Mr and Mrs Tsubata in them. So, I proposed a Raymond-like scissor truss made of ikada beams,” says Higashihara.
As it happens, Chizuru had taken a course with the late Shuichi Tsubata herself, and had visited their home. So, the owners were able to take inspiration from the Tusbata house.
As Mutsuura says, “The truss beams were strategically spaced to emphasise their beauty”.
A doma area in the centre of the building separates the living room on the left and the bathroom and combined dining room-kitchen on the right. Doma is the Japanese term for a part of a house with a packed-earth floor; while it is considered impolite to wear shoes inside a home in Japan, they may be worn in this transitional area between inside and out.
The table was made by Mr Takeuchi out of a discarded workbench, with plywood legs he made himself. The stump of one of the logs used in the construction of the house serves as a chair.
A doma area in the centre of the building separates the living room on the left and the bathroom and combined dining room-kitchen on the right. Doma is the Japanese term for a part of a house with a packed-earth floor; while it is considered impolite to wear shoes inside a home in Japan, they may be worn in this transitional area between inside and out.
The table was made by Mr Takeuchi out of a discarded workbench, with plywood legs he made himself. The stump of one of the logs used in the construction of the house serves as a chair.
Fragments of pearl shells are embedded into the floor. In this way it is reminiscent of the raden technique, in which mother of pearl shells are inserted into lacquerwork. “When I look at it, it’s like I’m in the sea of Shima,” Chizuru says, referring to the neighbouring body of water.
Mutsuura is pictured here on the left. The Higashiharas provided the traditional floor-packing tools
Everything from preparing the soil to carrying in the earth and tamping was done by the whole family working together. The moist earth gets harder and harder the more you pack it – the owners were beating the ground for days.
Everything from preparing the soil to carrying in the earth and tamping was done by the whole family working together. The moist earth gets harder and harder the more you pack it – the owners were beating the ground for days.
The walls of the central area are decorated with Chizuru’s etchings and oil paintings.
All of the joinery in the house is recycled. The railway sleepers under the eaves are one example. They were placed by the couple’s grandchildren and teammates from their junior high baseball team.
Their son’s family also helped lay the gravel that surrounds the house.
As evening sets in, the home’s lights create a magical atmosphere.
The sink surround in the kitchen was also made by Kazuhiko from Japanese cypress that was grown nearby.
Futons are stored behind the folding paper screens, which double as room partitions.
As there are large openings on all sides of the building, it has excellent ventilation.
As there are large openings on all sides of the building, it has excellent ventilation.
The living room floor is Japanese umbrella pine. Note the crisp contrast it creates with the smooth vertical pillars.
The owners also prepared the framework for the clay walls. Thin strips of bamboo are criss-crossed with one another and secured with palm rope. This is then covered in soil. Though their hard work was then plastered over by a local craftsman, they will always have their memories of the process.
How bamboo mesh is made; clay wall undercoating
How bamboo mesh is made; clay wall undercoating
Another thing the owners did entirely by themselves was gather rice husks and turn them into charcoal for insulation. They smoked a large supply of rice husks in drums, stuffed the resulting charcoal into 400-gram bags, and then spread it under the floor.
The Takeuchi residence is saturated with the feeling of relaxation and forges a deep connection with the surrounding natural landscape.
It is made entirely of local wood, soil, and stone. The fresh forest air makes you want to breathe as deeply as possible, and while Houzz interviewed the owners, their two dogs were luxuriating on the earthen floor.
It is made entirely of local wood, soil, and stone. The fresh forest air makes you want to breathe as deeply as possible, and while Houzz interviewed the owners, their two dogs were luxuriating on the earthen floor.
The cover of the outdoor unit, seen on the left in the photo, was also made by Kazuhiko
After the construction had been completed, Kazuhiko used leftover wood to make a cover for the air-conditioning unit outside.
This home, made possible through the owners’ hard work, is named Inoco (the small garden of Shima). Here, the owners can celebrate their connection to nature and the history of this special place.
After the construction had been completed, Kazuhiko used leftover wood to make a cover for the air-conditioning unit outside.
This home, made possible through the owners’ hard work, is named Inoco (the small garden of Shima). Here, the owners can celebrate their connection to nature and the history of this special place.
Your turn
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, save the images and join the conversation.
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What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, save the images and join the conversation.
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The house is exquisite in its simplicity and it feels one with nature.
Hey, Houzz, are there builders in the US skilled in these techniques? Not only is this a gorgeous, calming, beautiful home, it is also ecologically friendly and low on off gassing materials.
Beautiful!