In this Fun Link Friday, meet Austin and Sachiko Moore, a couple who have restored much of their Edo-period home in Hino (日野), Shiga pref., and are helping to restore other historic homes in the area.
Photo by Jeremie Souteyrat for The Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Moore’s pursuit of authenticity resulted in a house that looks like something out of an Edo-period samurai tale. Visitors enter through a sliding door—which is reddish-brown using traditional iron-oxide stain, as on much of the house’s exterior—into the den, a simple, narrow tatami room filled with soft light filtering through a delicate wooden-slat window. Next to it is another narrow room, once used by the merchant as his office; it has a low writing desk with an abacus resting on top. The merchant’s wife’s dressing room is now a guest bedroom with a view of a rock garden…
The house is discreetly equipped with modern essentials: An office closet hides a desk and computer. Some bathrooms have modern fixtures, such as a large Duravit sink. Also, the family dining room now has a wood floor rather than tatami mats, with some space dug under its low table so family members can stretch their legs as they eat.
The full article is here and the photo essay is here.
What can I do with a B.A. in Japanese Studies? 