Kyoto Machiya Stories — Volume4: The Story of “〇間”
This is an English translation and reprint of part of an article from the “STORIES” section of the Kyoto Machiya Succession Support Net (MATCH YA). “STORIES” introduces examples of how Kyo-machiya, the cooperation of the Kyoto Center for Community Collaboration, are being utilized.
Kyoto Machiya Succession Support Net
This group of experts, drawn from the fields of architecture, real estate, law, financial institutions and government agencies, work together with owners and residents to preserve Kyo-machiya and other traditional buildings.
MATCH YA
A website that connects owners and those who wish to inherit or utilize Kyo-machiya in order to ensure their proper preservation and longevity.
https://kyoto-machisen.jp/matchya/(※Only available in Japanese)
Volume 4: Mr. Toshiaki Sakai (Representative of Ma LLC)
From the Kujo Omiya intersection, from which the five-storied pagoda of To-ji Temple can be seen, walk to the south. You will soon find a large Kyo-machiya on the street lined with retro buildings of a beauty salon, a photo studio, etc. That is “〇間“（Pronunciation: MA）, a contemporary cultural salon where you can enjoy the passage of time while savoring tea.
When you open the entrance door, you will find the space in front of you completely different from the outside world, as if you had entered a tea room through its small entrance that’s impossible to go through without kneeling down. Displayed on antique display racks are craftworks, packages of tea leaves, and bottles of fragrances made from Japanese tea, which are available to purchase.
Built about 100 years ago, this building was originally used as a business base of a charcoal wholesaler and pawnbroker. Surprisingly, Mr. Sakai himself worked to renovate a large part of the building to end up with what it currently looks like. Below is an interview with Mr. Toshiaki Sakai, Representative of Ma LLC, which operates this facility.
1. First impression: “This building may be difficult to use as a store …”
Mr. Sakai was working in design and branding in Osaka Prefecture when he came to know of the existence of this Kyo-machiya through an acquaintance in 2018. When he first visited the building, he found that it had been renovated in a Showa-era style with a mixture of Western-style and Japanese-style rooms, and that it was filled with piles of useless junk, including litter. He was also concerned that the building’s location would be disadvantageous in attracting customers due to its distance from all major tourist destinations except To-ji Temple, a component of the World Heritage Site.
Mr. Sakai hesitated out of concern about the building’s overly large size and expected difficulties in using it as a store. However, the owner said to him, “You can refurbish it as you like to some extent,” which sounded very appealing to him.
At that time, Mr. Sakai was continuing to attend Urasenke-school tea ceremony lessons and developing his desire to propose new ways of enjoying tea in Kyoto. He finally decided to utilize this Kyo-machiya, believing that a clear concept would lead him to success.
2. Taking up the challenge of renovating the building by himself
Nevertheless, he had a concern: renovation costs. He decided to renovate it by himself in order to make the most of the charms of the original building while keeping the costs as low as possible.
The focus of renovation work was the main building. Mr. Sakai requested an architect to design seismic reinforcement and improvements to the foundation, while he himself developed a concept and design for the interior. He also hired a carpenter to improve the basic structure and foundation and devised ways of minimizing structural parts to be demolished and making maximum use of the original building so that the appearance of the renovated building would be as close as possible to that of the original.
While learning various things from the carpenter, he personally piled stones at the entrance, boarded the floors, and created a garden by weeding, planting trees and covering the ground with gravel. Members of the Kyo-machiya renovation project team helped him to carry out work that would have been difficult for him to do alone. The entire wall surface of the atrium used as a tea room is covered with various kinds of old door panels to create an extraordinary atmosphere.
Mr. Sakai explains: “Interior decorations constitute a form of hospitality. Therefore, I aimed to make the tea room a kind of simple box so that the interior decorations can be changed as I like.”
As a result of his efforts, “〇間“ opened at the end of March 2019.
3. Aspiring to share tea culture
Based on a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese tea culture, “〇間“ is designed to enable a wide range of people to enjoy tea comfortably.
In the tea room, the main space in the building, you can savor Japanese tea in a chair at a bar-counter-like table. You can observe how a cup of tea is prepared in front of you and spend a relaxing time even if you do not feel comfortable about sitting on tatami in the formal style. In the tea room, seasonal flowers are displayed decoratively in a vase.
Mr. Sakai states: “I believe that tea ceremony is a comprehensive art that combines various elements, including seasonal decorations, as a form of hospitality. Tea ceremony seems to me to have something in common with spatial art, such as contemporary art installations. I hope to continue to represent contemporary Japanese culture using this Kyo-machiya.”
4. Power of old objects
Before Mr. Sakai started renovating the Kyo-machiya into “〇間“, he defined “repairs and patches” as the theme of his initiative.
He says, “Not only machiya but also other old objects have great dignity that cannot be destroyed easily.” He has found significance in trying to thoroughly understand their dignity and renovating old buildings by making the most of their inherent value. “〇間“ embodies his hope of handing down old objects to future generations while repairing and patching them carefully in a manner similar to tsugihagi (継ぎ接ぎ：patchwork) and kintsugi (金継ぎ：repairing broken ceramic vessels with lacquer containing metal dust), which are important elements of Japanese culture.
At “〇間“, old pieces of furniture that existed in the original Kyo-machiya are used as display racks or for other purposes, creating perfect harmony with the atmosphere of the building. On an old safe at the entrance is a beckoning cat with a fine patina. The table top in the tea room was patched together from pieces of old scrap lumber. These pieces of scrap lumber are in fact thick boards that cannot be easily obtained today. The table top shines, reflecting sunlight pouring through the glass window.
5. Toward the future
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has lasted since 2020, has made it difficult to hold events with many visitors at “〇間“, such as lectures and concerts. Nevertheless, a limited number of events have continued to be held for a narrowed range of target visitors with the adoption of thorough infection control measures.
Mr. Sakai says that this Kyo-machiya has inspired those interested in buildings of the same kind to consult with him about how to utilize such buildings. He emphasizes, “I hope to continue to use this building as my base to encounter diverse people and share a new form of culture through Japanese tea.”
〇間
Instagram account: ＠0ma_kyoto
The Kyoto Center for Community Collaboration, established by the City of Kyoto, is now asking for donations for the Kyo-machiya Machizukuri Fund, which subsidizes the cost of renovating Kyo-machiya townhouses. Your donations will go completely to the preservation of Kyo-machiya.
Kyoto Machiya Machizukuri Fund
Kyoto Center for Community Collaboration
More about Kyo-Machiya — Machiya Vision
Kyoto City is also calling for donations in order to help hand down Kyoto’s heritage, including Kyo-machiya, to future generations.
