Key Points
- A 135-year-old traditional Japanese house (kominka) in Misato, Kumamoto, being renovated into a community exchange facility, suffered severe damage in a recent earthquake.
- The project, led by local resident Miura-san, was in its final stages and scheduled to open in August after three years of intensive renovation work.
- The earthquake caused the second floor to lean dangerously and a side structure to collapse entirely, despite previous seismic reinforcement efforts.
- Miura-san, who has invested approximately 16 million yen into the project, expresses deep frustration but remains determined to rebuild with the support of his “comrades” and the community.
Full Transcript (English)
Host: We are driving through a rural area where we can see a traditional house with blue tarps on the roof. This is the site.
Miura: Hello. I’m sorry you had to come at such a difficult time. Thank you for coming.
Host: It’s heartbreaking to see this.
Miura: It’s tough. It’s really tough. (Crying) But it’s okay. We will definitely start again from here. Thank you.
Host: This building was exactly at the stage of preparing for an August opening as a facility, wasn’t it? What kind of facility was it meant to be?
Miura: Yes, August. It was to be a community exchange facility called “Babanobabababasu.” A place where local people and visitors could communicate. We planned a restaurant, workshops, and a space where people could teach and learn from each other. I wanted to create a place in the countryside where people could gather.
Host: You were inside when the earthquake hit?
Miura: Yes, I was working inside. It was almost finished. Suddenly, without any early earthquake warning, a violent horizontal shake started. It wasn’t just shaking; I felt like I was being thrown. I realized this old house was in danger. I managed to grab onto the frame while being tossed around and escaped outside.
Host: It seems the interior held up somewhat?
Miura: Yes, when we renovated, we added seismic reinforcement to the center, and that part was strong. But the areas without reinforcement were shaken violently. Now the second floor is leaning.
Host: If it’s alright, could you show us the state of the building?
Miura: Yes, please. We worked so hard to make it beautiful. You can still smell the wood. Let’s go upstairs. I hadn’t started working on the second floor yet, but the old parts have cracked significantly. The south wall is leaning and on the verge of collapsing. The north side is mostly okay, but the weight has shifted toward the south.
Host: This house is 135 years old?
Miura: Yes, built in the Meiji era. The original owner wanted it to be used as it was, so we tried not to change the exterior, focusing on the interior design. When the earthquake happened, I honestly thought it was a dream. I even posted on Instagram that I wished it were a dream.
Host: What kind of place did you want this to be for everyone?
Miura: In rural areas, communities are shrinking. Places for people to gather are disappearing. I wanted a place where young and old could gather and have fun. That was the core idea. I’ve seen this through my work in regional revitalization.
Miura: (Pointing to the interior) We had a large table made from a single slab of cedar by a local woodsman. It was meant to seat 16 people. Usually, restaurants have separate tables, but I wanted to encourage communication, so I designed it as a shared seating arrangement. We also installed a 98-inch TV so elderly people could see clearly during workshops or we could watch movies together during gatherings.
Host: Looking at the side of the building, it’s devastating.
Miura: Originally, there was a roof extending out here, like a sunroom or a simple shed with pillars. Because it was a simple structure, it took the full force of the shake from the east. The pillars were knocked out, and it collapsed completely. This is the view I saw in the photos. When I saw it after escaping, once I regained my senses, the first thing I felt was pure frustration. We’ve worked for three years. It wasn’t just carpenters; I did a lot of DIY—laying gravel, pouring concrete, painting walls—all with my friends. To see it all go to zero in an instant… I was stunned.
Host: You’ve received many comments on Instagram.
Miura: Yes, and it makes me happy. Knowing people are rooting for us makes me feel I have to respond to that. I can’t give up. I’ve experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake and the previous Kumamoto earthquake. If you’re alive, you can manage. If you work hard, it will bear fruit. I’m not the only one suffering; many people have been affected. I can’t be the one to quit.
Host: What kind of support do you need now?
Miura: The current situation is that we need to demolish the second floor and likely turn it into a single-story building. That demolition and reconstruction will cost a lot. I’ve already invested about 16 million yen to get to this point, including a crowdfunding campaign. Now, we might need another 10 million yen just for the repairs and demolition. It’s a huge amount and it will be difficult, but I’ve decided to do it. I want to create a place where people can smile again.
Host: What is the one thing sustaining you right now?
Miura: My comrades. My friends. That’s the biggest thing. So many people have come here today to see the site, to offer help with repairs, or just to encourage me. I couldn’t do any of this alone. Having them here makes me so happy.
