Category Archives: Before

Critters

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

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Around the Garden

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

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A Save

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

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Boroya

We came to the decision to rennovate the Yoneda house after getting the imput from three different firms. We set up a meeting day on one Saturday in early 2008 and one by one, the contractors came out and gave … Continue reading

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The Terlet

I have a before picture of the toilet somewheres about, but I’m not sure it’s necessary to post it. The point is that the original toilet was a bit too rustic for this white boy (and to be honest, most … Continue reading

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The Kura

Kura are traditional granaries storehouses that were once common throughout Japan. In our part of Kochi, Asakura, there are scores. Most are plaster-covered, some of them quite ornate. I have to believe that part of their function was as a … Continue reading

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