Summary

The article recounts the author's experiences visiting traditional thatched-roof houses in Japan, including the village of Kayabuki no Sato, and reflects on the cultural significance and preservation of these historic structures.

Abstract

The narrative begins with the author, Randy Runtsch, detailing his journey to Okinawa with his wife Kazumi and their infant son to visit family. During this trip, he encounters a traditional Okinawan thatched-roof house that closely resembled a photo from a travel guide. Sixteen years later, the family explores mainland Japan, visiting historical sites and eventually arriving at Kayabuki no Sato, a hamlet known for its collection of thatched-roof houses. The village, over 200 years old and featuring more than thirty grass-roofed houses, is nestled amidst mountains and the Yura River. The article highlights the cultural significance of these houses, the effort to preserve them, including a fire protection system, and the broader context of similar architectural heritage at places like Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The author's personal connection to Japan is evident as he shares his fascination with the traditional architecture and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his family's travel plans.

Opinions

The author expresses a deep personal connection to Japan, emphasized by the naming of his son, Grant Takashi, and the importance of presenting him to Japanese relatives.
Randy Runtsch is captivated by the traditional thatched-roof houses, seeing them as a living connection to Japan's past and a contrast to modern city life.
The author appreciates the preservation efforts in Kayabuki no Sato, particularly the installation of a fire protection system and the public demonstrations during the Water Hose Festival.
The article conveys a sense of wonder and respect for the traditional craftsmanship and architectural techniques used in constructing the thatched-roof houses.
The author values the cultural significance of these buildings, as evidenced by his mention of the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for similar structures in Shirakawa-go.
The pandemic's impact on travel is acknowledged, with the author expressing hope for future visits to Japan.

Japan and History

The Thatched-roof Houses of Kayabuki no Sato in Japan

This village of grass-roofed houses is a welcome diversion from the busy city of Kyoto

Kayabuki no Sato village in Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. © Randy Runtsch.

When our son Grant Takashi (dragon) was five months old, my wife Kazumi and I journeyed with him to Okinawa, Japan. The main purpose of the visit was to present him to his grandmother, uncle, and other relatives. It was my first visit to my wife’s homeland.

An Okinawa travel guide showed a photo of one of two remaining traditional Okinawa wooden houses with a thatched roof. The picture showed a woman walking beside the house, carrying a woven wooden basket filled with laundry on her back.

Reconstructed traditional Okinawan thatched-roof house at Ryukyu Mura tourist site in central Okinawa. Note the sliding wooden doors. In the foreground, from left to right are the author’s son, Grant Takashi, his brother-in-law, Tadashi Oshiro, and his wife, Kazumi. © Randy Runtsch.

Kazumi’s childhood friend Mu-chan was kind enough to drive us to the village where the thatched-roof house was located. As we wandered through the village, I spotted the house. It was a simple wooden house with a thatched roof. But the scene amazed me as a woman walked beside the house, carrying a wooden basket filled with laundry on her back. The real-life image was a facsimile of the photo in the travel guide.

Reconstructed traditional thatched-roof houses at Gyoku Sendo tourist site in southern Okinawa. These houses are similar to the house the author saw on his first visit to the island. © Randy Runtsch.

Sixteen years later, after several trips to Okinawa, Kazumi and I decided to tour some of “mainland Japan” with Grant Takashi. We flew to Osaka from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and my wife’s brother Tadashi Oshiro flew in from his home in Okinawa.

For a week, we explored the historic sites of Kyoto and Nara, and enjoyed the cuisines and modern conveniences of Osaka.

While we traveled mostly on foot and by train on the island of Honshu, one day Tadashi rented a car and drove us 33 miles (53 km) north from Kyoto to Kayabuki no Sato. The hamlet is filled with thatched-roof houses and is surrounded by mountains to the north, and the Yura River to the south.

On our way to the village, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant along the river’s north bank. As we ate, we watched fishermen attempting to catch trout.

The fisherman used long tenkara rods that usually range from roughly 10 feet to 14.5 feet (3 to 4.5 meters) long. Unlike most fishing rods, the rods lack a fishing reel, and work like the old-fashioned cane poles I sometimes used as a boy.

After lunch, we walked around Kayabuki no Sato. The village is more than 200 years old and features more than thirty thatch-roofed houses.

“Kaya” in the name “Kayabuki” means grasses, while “buki” means roof. Kayabuki no Sato means “the home of the Kayabuki.”

Details on a moss-covered thatched-roof house. © 2022 Randy Runtsch.

Because of the flammability of the wood and grass-roofed houses, the village has installed a fire protection system. It performs a public test of the system in May and December during the Water Hose Festival. During the event, villagers shoot jets of water into the air.

House construction museum. © 2022 Randy Runtsch.

Kayabuki no Sata isn’t the only place to see traditional thatched-roof houses in mainland Japan. One of the most famous collections of the buildings is located in Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture. The place has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There, visitors can walk among the famed gasshō-zukuri minka houses. Minka means “home of the people.”

The COVID-19 pandemic postponed the plans of my wife and son to visit Okinawa in 2020. But with the ease of travel restrictions in Japan, they hope to return soon.

The author’s brother-in-law, Tadashi Oshiro, walks down a road in Kayabuki no Sato. © Randy Runtsch.