Category Archives: The Dwelling

This was the original subject of this site — the joys and struggles of living in a “traditional” Japanese house. The house was built in 1912 for a person working in the prefectural forestry department. It passed into my wife’s family sometime soon after the war. It’s been remodeled several times, but still retains tatami and shoji throughout. Modern plumbing and the addition of several strategically placed “aircon” have made it much more livable for the weak, soft people we are. I still can’t believe my good luck, though. This is one cool pad.

Rainyday Interiors

Posted on 2010/06/26 by Davey

I recently realized that I don’t have many interior shots of the house and today–given The Deluge-like rain–seemed like a good time to wander around and shoot some photos. Here they/we are, such as we are.

Posted in The Dwelling | 2 Comments

Critters

Posted on 2010/06/19 by Davey

There’s no getting around it: this house is its own little ecosystem apart from and despite the official residents. There’s the seed-bearing weeds that grow in the mud of the tile roof; the takaashikumo, (Heteropoda venatoria) the Japanese variant of … Continue reading →

Posted in Before, Bugs, The Dwelling | Leave a comment

Around the Garden

Posted on 2010/06/12 by Davey

We inherited this splendid garden, and though we’ve lived here more than a year, I still feel I’m just getting to know it. The design decisions were made long ago by other people, and taken all together, they serve as … Continue reading →

Posted in Before, Features, The Dwelling | Leave a comment

First Winter

Posted on 2010/01/20 by Davey

This is our fist winter in the old house. And yes, it is cold. We’ve had several sub-zero (just barely, but sub) nights and days where the hottest part of the day didn’t get above 5°C. The logic of having … Continue reading →

Posted in Bugs, Features, The Dwelling | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Kotatsu Table

Posted on 2009/12/13 by Davey

One of the last remaining big projects for the house (how sanguine and assured I am as I indulge in, no doubt, wishful thinking) is a table for the horigotatsu. A kotatsu is a low table, often covered in winter … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Features, Woodworking | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Save

Posted on 2009/11/02 by Davey

The kitchen in this house has been remodeled at least four times. Originally a traditional hard-packed earth floor douma, it was about a meter lower than the rest of the house and necessitated a flight of stairs. By the time … Continue reading →

Posted in Before, The Dwelling, Woodworking | Tagged | Leave a comment

Noggin Knockin

Posted on 2009/07/23 by Davey

I’m 6’2″ on a good day, which means that I am roughly two inches and change taller than the doorways. I figure I rattle my brains good at least once a week. I’ve polished the habit of stooping in just … Continue reading →

Posted in Bugs, The Dwelling | Leave a comment

Mornings

Posted on 2009/06/15 by Davey

The best… well, one of the best things about living here are the mornings. As dawn grows, I lie in bed and watch the complexity of this environment emerge. First the geometries of the shoji, then the cedar poles of … Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Leave a comment

Real Bugs

Posted on 2009/06/12 by Davey

I am a bit reluctant to admit this, but this house definitely comes with wildlife. There are spiders and beetles and gnats and mosquitoes and… let’s be honest, cockroaches. The Asian cockroach is, in particular, very disgusting. They are a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bugs, The Dwelling | Leave a comment

A Month of Work

Posted on 2009/03/31 by Davey

It has taken a little over four 7-day weeks to get the kitchen base cabinets built. I’m still not finished with installing the doors and drawers, but things are far enough along that I could, in theory, leave everything as … Continue reading →

Posted in The Dwelling, Woodworking | 2 Comments