Self-described Japanologist, Alex Kerr shared his passion for pulling old abandoned MINKA Japanese houses into the modern age on the SeekSustainableJapan talkshow and podcast this week.
In this talk, Alex Kerr pushes back against the Japanese myth that houses have to be destroyed and rebuilt every twenty years, he used the word MITATE to describe a traditional style of finding ways to reuse old things. Traditionally, Alex says, masters of Japanese tea ceremony found appeal in the old, earthy, rustic style of Korean rice bowls which they reused as stylish tea cups in SADO ceremonies.
Read the transcript of the talk | Watch | Listen
Expanding on the philosophy of MITATE, Alex has found ways to bring old houses, typical local ingredients, and even dying rural communities back to life with innovation from Japan’s past and ideas that work from abroad to give the tired, old and abandoned– renewed appeal.
Alex recounts his travels in Japan as a university students and says it was an arrow of fate that led him to Iya in the heart of Shikoku island– which is itself in the heart of Japan.
Alex fell in love with the misty mountains and the hamlets– where gods, not people usually live– and spent a lot of time exploring with his dog up and around neighborhoods without road access. He climbed up the steep hillsides of the hamlets and one day found an abandoned 300-year-old home.
These homes in the mountains have unobstructed views of the valley and mountains beyond. These houses in Iya are something special, he said and added that he has never seen anything comparable since.
The big, high, cathedral-like ceilings are unique in Japan– you can look up and see the giant wooden beams and how the thatch is strapped into place. No ceilings were put on these houses as they were designed to collect the smoke from the indoor hearth so the leaves of tobacco could be dried above the fire. The hard wood floors predate TATAMI mats and have been stained dark black from years of soot collecting on the floor.
Even as a poor student visiting the Iya Valley, Alex says he realized with excitement that even he might be able to buy one of the old abandoned homes on the mountain. He paid $1500 for the land only– as the house itself had no value– and called it Chiiori.
As a poor student he repurposed the old-thatch of a newly thatched roof and carried it on his back up the mountain. In the video you can see the pictures of himself covered in soot with bales of straw for the roof on his back.
Over the last 50 years, Alex has found success in sharing his philosophy of MITATE –working with rural communities across Japan helping locals to bring their local assets into the modern age.
To be successful, he says there are 3 areas that need a MITATE focus: Houses, Food, and the Arts. An innovative look at local ingredients which are of the highest quality but need to be elevated to create appeal to visitors is one of the key features of rural revival.
In a small town in Shikoku, he brought in a Michelin starred chef to work with young entrepreneurs and locals to create dishes worth traveling hours out of the cities and into the mountains for. The famous Michelin chef and luxury class visitors who came for the event returned home, but many of the entrepreneurs stayed on in the town to set up eateries and shops. This is a key aspect to long-term sustainable tourism appeal.
Once you have high-quality foods and services, and charming yet comfortable renovated old MINKA houses to stay in, the dying towns are revived with new residents and visitor appeal.
Alex had another example of how art and a home for craftspeople has revived the small, dying town of Takeda in Kyushu. Artists residences in abandoned Akiya houses brought new energy to the area, guest houses and restaurants started to pop up and now the area has new appeal for residents as well as visitors.
Every talk Alex Kerr gives is filled with so many wonderful insights, but I was especially inspired by his use of the concept of MITATE. How not only repurposing old houses, but also preserving traditional design, utilizing local ingredients, and reusing old natural materials– with modern innovation– is key to a successful balance between people-planet and profits.
I think these ideas from Alex Kerr, focused on Japan, can inspire and spark new innovation around the world– solving many of our common problems with population decline and reviving rural towns which are dying.
Alex Kerr’s most recent book is on Bangkok about connections between Japan and Thailand also helps us see our common needs to balance culture, traditions, and modern needs which is true across borders.
