The Kominka Collective's mission is to save Japanese kominka folk houses and other traditional structures while preserving Japanese building arts. We are a not-for-profit company.
Upcoming
Events
'Japan’s Extraordinary Folk Houses: Protecting Architectural Cultural Heritage and Traditional Building Arts'
Among Japan's numerous akiya, or vacant houses, a number are kominka, or folk houses that were built using traditional carpentry methods.
Although kominka are widely appreciated for their beautiful aesthetic and the skill with which they were built, many of these extraordinary structures are being torn down and incinerated.
This is an immeasurable loss, and our mission is to save Japanese folk houses and the beautiful materials with which they were built while passing on traditional Japanese building arts to future generations.
Join us for a friendly and informative seminar about:
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What kominka are and how they were built
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Why kominka are being torn down
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What is being done in Japan to protect and preserve kominka, and how you can get involved
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What is being down outside of Japan to protect and preserve kominka, and how you can get involved.
kominkacollective.com
contact@kominkacollective.com
Sponsored by Shinshiro City, Japan
'A Seminar for Building Professionals: Giving Japanese Kominka Folk Houses & Other Traditional Structures a Second Life in Oregon & Beyond'
Please join us for a friendly afternoon of presentations and discussions about preserving and sharing Japanese traditional built cultural heritage by relocating, redesigning, and rebuilding kominka as a way of saving them from being torn down and discarded.
Topics will include:
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The process of relocating a kominka to North America
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Points regarding building codes
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The reassembly of a kominka frame and other components
Saturday, October 12th, 1 - 4 pm
Doors open at 12:30
McMenamins Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97211
Participation is free of charge, but spaces are limited. Light refreshments will be provided and there will be shamisen and shinobue performances by "Kotori Kai Shamisen" powered by TAKOHACHI. Registration will close when spaces are filled.
kominkacollective.com
contact@kominkacollective.com
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Individual Meetings about relocating, redesigning, and rebuilding kominka and other traditional Japanese structures
Timber Framers Guild Fall 2024 Japan Tour in Collaboration with the Kominka Collective: November 7 - 21
Following the success of the Timber Framers Guild Spring 2024 Japan Tour, we are delighted to announce the TFG 2024 Japan Tour! Join us for a wonderful two weeks of visiting minka and other traditional structures, Japanese building arts-related workshops, talks, and experiences with leading experts, a lot of good food, some wandering around in beautiful places, and great fun with wonderful people!
Only a few spaces are left, so please get in touch with Timber Framers Guild Board Vice President Jim DeSantis for more information and to reserve a spot!
info@tfg.org
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The Timber Framers Guild & Kominka Collective Japan Spring Tour
April 14 - 28 2024
We have spent an amazing two weeks with the most wonderful people on the planet this past April - 18 members of the Timber Framers Guild - seeing all things kominka from Tokyo to Kyoto and beyond - a morning visit with Azby Brown to meet Yoshihiro Takishita at his incredible minka in Kamakura, an afternoon learning about the renovation of machiya in Kyoto with Naito Komuten and Vince Ng, three days at the Minka Summit in Hanase, a visit to the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum in Kobe, temple building with Taguchi Komuten, kominka spotting in Shinshiro with Toda Komuten, and much more. We are looking forward to another Timber Framers Guild Tour in November 2024!
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The Northwest Kominka & Yakisugi Festival
Camp Colton, Oregon
November 5, 2023
A wonderful time in a truly magical place with a life affirming Keynote by internationally acclaimed Japanese landscape designer, Hoichi Kurisu, and incredible workshops by Yann Giguere of Mokuchi Studio, Joshua Peterson of Shoguns Gallery, Kiyomi Koike of Zen House Kominka, David Simos of Minka, landscape designers from Kurisu International, origami by the Portland Japanese Consulate, ikebana by Nana G. Bellerud, Koji Toda and Yasuhiro Sasaki of Toda Komuten, and Kunito Niwa of the Kominka Collective. And, a calligraphy workshop and performance by SORA and three taiko, shinobue, and shamisen performances by Takohachi. We hope to organize this event again soon!
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Stop by the Timber Framers Guild booth to learn about the craft of timber framing and the important work the TFG is doing to support communities and preserve built cultural heritage.
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Try some incredibly delicious inarizushi and norimakizushi at the SOEN booth - and then go back for seconds!
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Enjoy a friendly conversation about contemplative retreats in a kominka (and have a cup of tea and sweets) at the Kominka Life Coaching booth.
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Visit Shogun's Gallery's booth to see beautiful, one-of-a-kind Japanese antique treasures - that you can take home!
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Learn about an inspiring Hawaii-Japan initiative to save kominka with Milt Yamada of Japan Kominka Rescue.
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Learn how intricate origami pieces are made at the booth of the Consulate Office of Japan in Portland.
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Visit the SORA Shodo booth to see artist SORA create her extraordinary pieces in front of our eyes, inclduing bespoke pieces at your request!
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Visit the Japanese Traditional Crafts & Artisan Goods booth for unique items by craftspeople in the Pacific Northwest and Japan!
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Stop by the Kominka Collective booth to learn about kominka and yakisugi, and to find out what this not-for-profit company is doing in and outside of Japan to preserve and protect these extraordinary structures.
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The Oregon Kominka Festival
Edgefields, Oregon
January 14, 2023
Kominka Collective and Toda Komuten collaborated on our first event outside of Japan! To our amazement, tickets were reserved within just a few days, and the incredible interest in kominka and the need to protect and preserve these extraordinary structures and traditional Japanese building arts was inspiring.
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