までいな家

May 13 traveled to Iita-mura (飯舘村) with Itonaga-sensei. As explained in a previous post, Iitate received a government grant to build a model eco-home. Last December we built the west wall of a detached studio using straw bales. The home utilizes a number of environmental and experimental features. The hygrothermal environment of the home is being monitored and the data is displayed real-time by computer. Japanese Cypress bathtub

民家学校

In March I joined the Japan Minka Revitalization Association (日本民家再生協会). This year I'll attend classes once a month in different areas of Japan regarding Japanese folk homes. There are roughly 36 people in the class. On May 9, I attended my first class in Saitama Prefecture.One part of the class involved drawing a floor plan and interior elevation of the home we're surveying.

日本民家園

May 8 attended a tour of the Japanese Folk Home Muesum (日本民家園) in Kawasaki, Kanagawa.
Repairing thatch roof
Structure of thatch roof
Straw rope work
土間(doma) = earthen floor stabilized with lime and 苦汁(nigari), a byproduct of salt production

Lime Plaster

May 1 attended a earthen plastering class taught at a trade school in Tokyo taught by Ueno-san and Tanaka-san. May 6 attended a lime plastering workshop taught by Yawata-Oyakata (八幡親方).

Ingredients

消石灰(hydrate lime)　 20kg

つのまた糊(seaweed glue powder)　 475g

麻すさ(hemp fibers)　 400g

水(water) 適量(appropriate amount)

１．500グラムの麻すさを水につける(soak hemp fibers in water)

２．20キロの消石灰と約500グラムのつのまた糊をから合わせる（乾いている状態で混ぜる）(mix the hydrate lime and glue powder dry)

３．適量の水を足す(mix and add water as needed)

４．麻すさを千切って、消石灰に足す。(break up the clumps of hemp fiber and add to lime)

５．完全に混ぜたら、塗れます。(plaster)

Three things I love about plastering. (1) It's practical and useful. (2) It's an art. And (3), it physical.