Long in the Roof

Is this old? ...yes, it is bloody archaic!

This is the oldest abode I've yet discovered in Tokyo, a tumbling down hovel I accidentally discovered today in someone's enormous backyard in Ōokayama - yep, the same wonderland I explored in my last entry (see below).

I had to climb a fence and was harassed by an over-friendly Corgi "guard-dog" (it made me wonder if Queen Liz was in town), but was able to rattle off a few pics.

Demise of a Classic Old Tokyo Manor

Two evenings ago I was walking home in the rain from Jiyugaoka Station, and spotted about 10 fire engines, a horde of people, and a huge billow of smoke that drifted up into the sky in spite of heavy rain from an approaching typhoon.

The sad fact was that a classic Taishō period (1912-26) mansion was up in flames, and the firefighters were struggling with a huge blaze that consumed a wonderful, historic wooden building.

Today I went back to see the outcome.

The photo (right) was taken just over the front gate, where a wheelchair was disturbingly left and police tape wound across the entrance. The destruction is pretty intense - the whole building is a skeleton now, with the refuse of burned telephone books, kimono, furniture, a TV, and even a coveted old reel-to-reel tape player parked on the small roof above where the front door used to be.

For Okusawa, a generally wealthy area, this is an incredibly big space. And sadly it was probably the largest old house I'd seen in Tokyo - till now.


This is the way the place was 18 months ago.

The trees surrounding the huge property made it difficult to get a decent shot from the street; I always intended to climb the wall (discreetly!) and get a couple of good photos. Now, sadly, it's too late.

I just hope the people got out of there safely.

Nihon Minkaen Open-Air Folk House Museum

A hidden treasure trove of historical artifacts, this one is located on the side of a huge hill in the middle of a forest, located about 15 minutes’ walk from Noborito Station, just 25 minutes by train from Kawasaki - and entry costs ¥500 for hours of incidentally educational fun!

Apparently (according the propaganda hand-outs they give you) in order to preserve historic architecture from around Japan, from 1965 the city of Kawasaki began dismantling historical houses dating back to the 17th Century and relocated them here, so that now there're 25 fascinating structures, including a shrine, a watermill, and a kabuki theater.

Functional furniture, tools and utensils are also kept, as well as recreations of original thatch roofing and tatami flooring — and there’s a wunderbar soba restaurant hidden away in one of the old farmhouses.

All up it's a mesmerizing, surprisingly quiet place that transports you away from this bustling metropolis to a more tranquil time, where no neon signage or J-pop pervaded our everyday activities.

And - just occasionally - that’s a wee bit of a blessing.