Kominka : The Beauty and Wisdom of Japanese Traditional Folk Houses

For centuries, traditional wooden folk houses known as “ kominka” have embodied the cultural values of the agrarian, merchant, and samurai societies of pre-modern Japan. Their huge sturdy posts and powerful beams have withstood earthquakes and other natural disasters, demonstrating the artistry of Japanese carpenters and the strength of handcrafted wood joinery. Preserved and reconstructed today, kominka offer silent testimony to the enduring beauty and resilience of Old Japan.Kazuo Hasegawa' s profusely illustrated book introduces readers to the vernacular architecture, equips travelers with a guide to Japan' s 101 must-visit kominka and villages, and is a useful reference for those who are planning to embark, as the author did, on a kominka renovation journey of their own. For centuries, the traditional folk houses known as kominka have provided shelter and embodied the values of the agrarian, merchant and samurai society of pre-modern Japan. Their huge sturdy posts and powerful beams have withstood earthquakes and other natural disasters, demonstrating the artistry of Japanese carpenters and the strength of traditional wood joinery. Preserved and reconstructed today, they offer silent testimony to the enduring beauty and resilience of traditional Japanese cultural values. Recently, not only many overseas travelers visit them, also some of foreigners have even acquire them to convert to their residences and business properties. With many images, this book present the diary of the reconstruction of kominka by author, Kazuo Hasegawa, which gives readers ample hints to learn Japanese traditional architectural ellements, and the guide to 101 most attractive kominka and its villages in Japan, which are now used as inns, restaurants, galleries and others, you are able to visit and stay in to enjoy the wisdom and artistry from Japan s past.