佐野オトリ店 山梨県南巨摩郡南部町 茅葺屋根 Japanese Thatch Roofing

November 25-26 helped Sano-san with the re-thatching of his 300 year old home.

Sano-san and Kyle last spring

Sano-san is the quinsential Hyakusho (百姓). He grows rice and vegetables for his family, and produces tea and raises Ayu fish for income. In his lifetime, this is the third time he’s thatched his home. Last spring I helped Sano-san with the thatching of the hira (平), the plane of the roof. This time work was done on the mune (棟), the ridge.

Ridge uncovered revealing 30-year-old straw

New Ridge Cover

Re-thatching the ridge

五箇山 茅葺屋根 Japanese Thatch Roofing

November 21-22 attended a thatching workshop in Gokayama (五箇山), Toyama Prefecture sponsored by the Japan Thatch Roof Culture Association directed by Professor Kunihiro Ando of Tsukuba University. Gokayama is famous for it’s thatch roofs, and as a result, is a world cultural heritage Center.

Structure of thatch roof characteristic of Gokayama. In order to secure the ridge thatching, two poles cross under the ridge as opposed to Shirakawago's (白川郷) single pole. Notice the structure is lashed together with straw rope, vines, and small young trees twisted and beaten into lash.

Twisting

Pounding

Lashing

Cedar Bark Used as Siding

Leyenda Antique Gallery and Store

Last fall helped Hiroaki Yoshimoto with the construction of a straw bale building in Toyama Prefecture.

Hiro Notching Bales with a Chainsaw

Hiro, who is professionally trained as a carpenter, is the founder and director of the NPO Toyama Straw Bale House Association. Hiro is also active in promoting environmental education.

The building is being constructed with the assistance of the owners Naosuke and Akane Teranishi and will function as an antique store.

Akane Stuffing Gap with Straw

Naoske Tying Bale

Naosuke and Akane import and sell European antiques. The name of the building and store is “Leyenda”, and was named after my favorite classical guitar piece, originally written by Issac Albeniz for piano and transcribed for guitar by Andre Sagovia.

The straw bale walls are plastered on both sides with lime based plasters. The exterior features ventilated rainscreens to protect the bale walls from rain and snow.

In November, Leyenda was featured in several newspapers.

More photos are details are available at the following websites:
October http://www.sakichi-k.jp/2010/10/
November http://www.sakichi-k.jp/2010/11/
Leyenda Blog (at the bottom of the page, click on the arrow to the right to see previous posts)

民家学校 静岡県伊久美 Felling a tree and milling lumber with a portable chainsaw mill

November 6 and 7 attended a forestry workshop as a part of the Japan Minka Revival Association's Minka School.

Selective thinning

Measuring circumference

Cutting wedge

Cut back with saw above wedge

Falling tree

Moving logs

Peavey

Milling logs with a portable chainsaw mill

民家学校 埼玉県幸手市 Japanese Joinery

December 10, attended a joinery workshop in Satte (幸手), Saitama-Prefecture.

Stepped Gooseneck Splice

Osaka Castle-Otemon Gate's Pillar Splice

Mortised Rabbeted Oblique Scarf Splice

Blind Stubbed, Housed Rabbeted Oblique Scarf Splice

Double Plug Connecting Joint

This last Joint can splice or connect.

民家学校 大平宿

September 18-20 stayed three days in a hundred-year-old Japanese folk house in 大平 (Odaira) in Nagano-Prefecture.

神向寺さん (Mr. Jinkoji) cooking over an open fire indoors.

銀座農園

September 15 met with Mr. Iimura of Ginza Farm. Ginza is Japan’s version Manhattan’s 5^th avenue. Ginza Farm is involved with rooftop gardening, environmental education, and connecting rural producers and primary urban consumers. The following is an article from Nihon University's 桜縁 magazine.