The Kominka Collective brings reclaimed Japanese folk houses, kura, and other traditional structures that are going to be torn down to North America and beyond to give these extraodrinary structures and materials a second life

While traditional Japanese folk houses are widely appreciated for their beautiful aesthetic and for the skill with which they were built, many of these extraordinary structures are being torn down and incinerated.

This is an immeasurable loss, and it is our mission to protect, preserve, and reconstruct Japanese folk houses for the sake of future generations.

The Kominka Collective was conceived as a way to share traditional Japanese folk houses with people outside of Japan, not as museum pieces, but as spaces to gather, live, and work – and in so doing to give these beautiful old houses a second life.

We work with Toda Komuten of Shinshiro Japan to make reclaimed and restored Japanese kominka and traditional Japanese building techniques, materials, fixtures, and furnishings accessible to people outside Japan. We are not-for-profit company.

Toda Komuten, a longtime advocate for folk house preservation in Japan, disassembles kominka which are in very good condition but are going to be demolished and rebuilds them for use as public spaces, homes, studios, home offices, community centers, cafes, and shops.

The word kominka refers to houses built at least 50 years ago and in particular to those built before the Taisho Period. Komika were constructed with high-quality local wood, including zelkova, sakura, chestnut, and cypress.

These structures are characterized by traditional Japanese timber framing using broad beams and posts, ceramic tiled roofs, and a rustic yet elegant beauty.

Japanese timber framing, used for wooden construction in temples, shrines, and folk houses, has many advantages, including strength, durability, and maintainability - as well as its elegant appearance.

Reclaiming Traditional Japanese Folk Houses

The Disassembling Process

When we learn that a kominka is going to be demolished, Toda Komuten first evaluates the wood to assess if they can use the materials in new or existing structures. If they determine that the house is still viable, before dismantling the house, they number and document all the beams and posts so that they can be reassembled later at the site of their new home. The house is then carefully taken apart.

The next step is to take all the beams, posts, ceramic roof tiles, shoji screens, and other materials to the workshop where each piece is cleaned, polished, and repairs are made, if needed.

Master carpenters then pre-assemble the structure in the workshop and make any necessary modifications. As the house will have settled over the years, minor changes to length or height may be needed for some materials. This step is therefore important to ensure that the house fits structurally and that its reconstruction at its new location in another country is straightforward and problem-free.

The parts of the house are then packed into wooden crates and shipped to their destination.

The Reassembling Process

Reconstructed folk houses are reassembled using Japanese timber framing and all-wood joints. And, as all the materials are numbered and documented during the disassembly process, the assembly process is in a sense akin to putting together a very old wooden model.

However, although reconstructed kominka maintain the beautiful aesthetic Japanese folk houses are known for, they are built in strict accordance with local building codes and regulations.

Komika are, by design, open and well ventilated, causing them to be cold in the winter. Therefore, reconstructed folk houses are also designed and built to be warm and to have state-of-the-art energy efficiency.

In keeping with our mission to not waste any of the kominka's wood, some materials can be incorporated creatively into new and existing structures and landscapes. It is traditional, for example, for komika to have low ceilings, which means that the incredible beams and posts may have been out of view for a hundred years or more. In a reconstructed kominka with the beautiful beams exposed, wood from the ceiling may used in other ways, such as wainscoating.

The Dismantling Process

The Reassembling Process

Completed Houses

Using old materials from reclaimed kominka together with new materials to create extraordinary spaces with the aims of:

Protecting and preserving

kominka frames and irreplaceable old wood, and other materials

Creating opportunities to live, gather, and work in Japanese timber frame structures

Maintaining a traditional aesthetic while creating

energy-efficient spaces

Sharing

information about Japanese built heritage and traditional building techniques

Zen House Kominka in beautiful Wallowa County, Oregon is described by owner Kiyomi Koike as "a Japanese tea house where you can stay."

Photo by Steve Warblow

Photos below by Zen House Kominka

Visit Zen House Kominka

Whether relocated for use as public or private spaces, there is so much flexibility and creativity in designing and rebuilding reclaimed kominka and other traditional structures.