PAST EVENTS

Reflections on Minka Summit 2022

Our board members look back and reflect on the Kominka Japan’s first ever event.

Stuart Galbraith IV

Kominka Japan was founded in the summer of 2016 with the hope of, particularly, bringing together foreign residents either with minka or those considering or actively looking for one. The site sputtered into a state of inactivity from early 2017 until spring 2021, when circumstances we never could have imagined brought about a sudden surge in interest and new memberships. Our ranks jumped from nine in early 2021 to around 600 in just a few months, and has been rising steadily ever since. As I write this, we have more than 2,500 members on our Facebook page.

By early summer 2021, we began thinking about hosting a small gathering of minka-folk, perhaps 30-50 people. It was, we thought at the time, something that would be very informal and intimate—people sitting around the BBQ sharing minka stories, exchanging information, ideas, tips, and contacts, and mostly it was conceived as the means for like-minded people spread across Japan to meet one another.

Very quickly, though, interest from members on the Facebook page, excitement about the idea among our Board of Directors, expanded this modest little event into something that kept growing and growing. And GROWING. Pretty soon we had speaker presentations, a vast “Minka Mall” and minka tours planned.

When the big weekend finally came, the host village of Hanase, in the mountains north of Kyoto, a tiny village with a full-time population of about 100 people, experienced something like a mass invasion ("M-Day?") of more than 300 people. We have events all the time in this little village of ours, but never before had locals seen license plates on cars from all across Japan. They could hardly believe that so many foreigners (and some Japanese) were so passionate (and knowledgeable) about minka and country living.

The enormity of the event precluded us Board Members from experiencing the Minka Summit as regular visitors did; most of us were just too busy, and mostly confined to one facet of the event. For this reason, I’ve asked each Board Member to offer a few thoughts and observations from what each was able to experience.

In my case, I was mostly ensconced at my own minka nearby, hosting tours Saturday and Sunday morning, and overseeing the preparations for the Friday Night Meet & Greet and Saturday Night Dinner and Keynote. During the tours, however, I probably hosted 200 visitors, some with minka of their own, others with an eye on buying one in their near future, and everyone was super-friendly and asked interesting questions or made informed remarks. I even learned a couple of things about my own minka I hadn’t known before.

Despite a few probably inevitable last-minute snafus, overall the Summit seemed to go over like gangbusters and, thankfully, between our anti-COVID measures and cooperation from all the guests, no COVID cases resulted. As I said in my welcome speech, the minka mall, the speaker presentations, the minka tours – those I figured were all going to turn out great, but my main hope was that passionate, like-minded minka-folk would make important contacts and connections with one another, and maybe even form lifelong friendships. That, indeed, seems to have happened, and if that’s how we measure things, I’m happy and grateful that, in this regard, it was a resounding success.

Finally, Minka Summit 2022 would not have been possible without the months of planning and preparation on the part of the Kominka Japan Board, the local and bussed-in volunteers, and all those with Minka Mall booths, hosting tours, and making presentations, particularly Keynote Speaker Alex Kerr, who graciously made himself available all weekend long to anyone attending the Summit. The local support of the people of Hanase and nearby villages was also key to an event such as this, and it couldn’t have happened at all without the hard work my wife, Yukiyo, put into the event; she really went above and beyond and then some. To all of them, Thank You!

Lauren Scharf

When I think back to the Minka Summit, dozens of memories flood my brain like a hyper speed montage. But the reel slows in places and inevitably, those more focused recollections involve the various conversations I had or overheard over the three days. Chats with other board members, volunteers, speakers, Minka Mall booths, food vendors, and of course, Summit attendees. Here are a few snippets of particularly memorable exchanges, relayed more or less as I remember them:

One morning, I manned the registration desk for a couple of hours and heard all kinds of questions and comments. Among them, an older Japanese couple who asked (in Japanese),

“Do all these foreigners own kominka?!”

“Not all of them, at least, not yet.”

“But they all *want* to own a kominka?”

“Many of them, yes. Or a machiya.”

“Do you own a kominka?”

“I do, yes. In Ishikawa-ken.”

“Why do so many foreigners want to live in old Japanese houses? Most Japanese people want to live in new, clean, modern houses!”

“That’s true, and sad for the beautiful minka but good for the people here who want to rescue them and give them a second chance! We’re attracted by the architecture, the use of natural materials, the space, and of course, the reasonable price.”

(Shaking their heads in wonder) “Well isn’t that something. Foreigners always seem to value our culture more than we do!”

Overheard from the desk:

Young couple discussing which minka to visit on the tour.

Him: I think we should only visit the renovated ones.

Her: Ha! I was about to say we should only look at the original ones!

Him: We can see original ones online anytime. It makes more sense to see what people have done with them.

Her: Yeah, but then we’ll have those ideas in our heads and it will stifle our own creativity!

Him: (Opening mouth then closing it again, taking a deep breath) Whatever you say, darling, whatever you say.

Me chatting with Alex Kerr at some point:

AK: This really is a fantastic event! And the best thing about it? You guys did this on your own, without government intervention.

LS: We talked about trying to approach various levels of bureaucracy for funding but ultimately, other than the local guys here in Hanase, it just seemed easier to go ahead without interference and people telling us what we couldn’t do.

AK: That was wise. It probably wouldn’t have all come together so well if you had to answer to anyone else. And doing it this way sends a strong message to the government, at least anyone who’s paying attention, that this movement is real and it’s happening and they can get on board.

LS: it’ll be interesting to see if this does change anything. Making the process of purchasing simpler and sorting out the farmland/agriculture thing would go a long way to filling akiya minka!

AK: Nothing ever happens quickly where the government is concerned but change does come eventually.

LS: You’d be the best judge of that! (Head nodding and weary laughter ensue.)

Last day as cleanup is underway, a man approached me with a question:

“This was really amazing! I’ve learned so much and met so many great people!”

“Thanks! That’s great to hear. The first time for any event is always a bit stressful, hoping everything comes together. I’m glad it met your expectations!”

“More than met them! So will it happen again next year?”

“Ummm…possibly…or perhaps alternate years, in alternate locations. We haven’t really discussed it yet but the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so I’d like to say there will be a Minka Summit II at some point!”

“Well, keep me posted. The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned. How about having it in Niigata? There are a lot of incredible places up there.”

“Noted! Who knows; maybe it’ll move from one minka-centric region to another every year!”

Me, upon being passed by a man carrying a gorgeous artichoke:

“Excuse me but where did you get that?!”

“The artichoke?”

“Yes, that incredible artichoke! I haven’t seen one since I moved back to Japan nearly 10 years ago!”

“Some French guy is selling them in the Minka mall. Well, he only had three and I think this may have been the last one…” (sees the look on my face) “or not. Come to think of it, he probably has more he just hasn’t put out yet.”

“Thank you!!!” shouted over my shoulder as I bolt for the Minka Mall where I do indeed find the "French guy" selling produce, including, praise be, an artichoke.

Vince Ng

The Minka Summit held a very special place in my heart due to the place and the community of Hanase-Hirogawara. Less than a 10-minute drive from the main venue was my organic farm that I had started in the summer of 2019 and eventually bid farewell to two years later. During the peak tourism boom, I was in the middle of planning my next boutique hotel property in Kyoto City. Within that hotel, a farm-to-table kitchen that would serve both staying guests and the urban locals. Through that process, I stumbled upon an akiya in Hirogawara with sizable farmland and would turn it from an abandoned property to a thriving farm with many urbanites visiting to help with farm work. At that time I was not particularly interested in minka, per se, as I was invested in machiya with ornate gardens and luxury aesthetics. For better or for worse, Japan responded to the pandemic with total tourism isolation and with no more inbound guests to care for, and my staff and I found ourselves commuting more and more to the farm.

We bought a tractor, built anti-deer/boar fencing, restored the rice paddies, reclaimed vacant plots from the forest, grew a hop garden, started a plethora of vegetables and also renovated the old tin-covered kayabuki house so we could stay overnight. Local ojisan farmers, curious at this bunch of young urbanites attempting to farm, would gladly come by to offer their wisdom and advice. My favorite memories were joining the local matsuri and other festivals, especially the Hirogawara Matsuage fire festival. What the tourists don’t know is that once the flames are doused, there is a traditional dance party inside the altar, and outside on the road free sake and draft beer flows all night. This altar was directly in front of the entrance to my farm.During my commutes, I would often see a very out-of-place foreigner in a straw hat and glasses walking his dog along the narrow road alongside the river. One day I pulled over to talk to him. This man was Stuart, the founder of Kominka Japan. He invited me into his gazebo where we had coffee and chatted about minka and rural living. We even struck a deal where I would come and haul off his goat’s manure for fertilizer and in return I would drop off some freshly harvested vegetables. Stopping by for a coffee and chat became somewhat routine and that’s when I started hearing about the Minka Summit. My first impression was that it was very academically-inclined and somewhat beyond what normal people like me would be able to understand. However, when I was invited to join as a board member and organizer of the Minka Summit, I started to see the value and need for technical knowledge regarding traditional residences in English.By this time, I had to let go of my business, including my beloved farm. Instead, my wife and I decided to begin our own official inaka life and moved to an akiya farmstead in Miyazu, along the Sea of Japan. All the lessons I learned in Hirogawara and with the Kominka Japan community were directly applicable in helping us get settled into our new rural lifestyle. Within the first month of moving into our property I had already restored and fenced off one vegetable field and revived two ‘tan’ worth of rice paddies. Many villagers were surprised at the speed and efficiency we were able to achieve what it took other newcomers years to do.

The Minka Summit allowed me to come back to the place where my interest in rural living and Kominka first sprouted. As I saw the Minka Mall filled with an abundance of minka-related businesses and services, including many of my personal friends who were setting up booths and speaking, I felt a huge sense of pride and fulfillment that such an event was born. People that I had only conversed with on the Kominka Japan Facebook Group, who came from all over the world and Japan, were now shaking my hand in person and we talked like we had known each other for years. In some sadder news, just before the start of the Minka Summit, one of the farmers who I had worked with was left homeless when his kayabuki house caught fire. Sadly, his father perished in the blaze, so coming back was a journey of many mixed emotions.Weeks after the event had ended, the stories of its success reverberated in the communities I had once been a part of. I received numerous messages and questions about it, especially from local Japanese who were flabbergasted that a bunch of foreigners had pulled off one of the biggest events in the area in decades, especially during a pandemic - and of all things, it was about minka. I felt a new movement growing and that I was, in some small shape or form, contributing and giving back to the rural community that had guided me to my current lifestyle.Now the Minka Summit and Kominka Japan has taken on a life of its own, thanks to the communities involved both in the villages and online. I hope a new value will be recognized by locals and demand for rural living will be pushed into the spotlight. An ideal balanced lifestyle of work, health, quality time with loved ones, pursuit of hobbies, more time for oneself, to learn and discover new things is more possible than ever. You don’t need to give up urban life for rural life or vice versa. You can have the best of both worlds and the Minka Summit is a place to learn, hear from example, and share your own stories.I was once told by a veteran surgeon, talking about mastering new operations, that “the best way to Learn is: See one. Do one. Teach one”. I feel that holds true with what we are trying to accomplish at the Minka Summit for all organizers, new participants, speakers, vendors and the community.

Wendy Bigler

As I think about the significance of the Minka Summit 2022, and specifically the speaker series, I thought it would be good to share a brief history of how it came to be. Lauren Scharf had the original idea for the Facebook group in 2016, and Stuart Galbraith embarked on expanding the membership base about a year ago. He recruited a small group of Facebook administrators who then became the informal board of Kominka Japan. Paul Fradale earned some kominka fame through his CNN interview about his kominka renovation, and Michael Lurges is a Ph.D. student interested in Kominka and community development. Yukiyo Nishi, Stuart's wife, is experienced in non-profit development. My own interests include kominka architecture, small-scale farming, and community transitions. When Stuart first announced his vision for a Summit, there were around 200 members in the group, and we had no idea how much interest there would be; we speculated maybe 50 people would come, maybe fewer but that even if it were a small group there would be much to gain talking to each other.

In the year between the initial vision and now, Kominka Japan has gone through some transformation. Paul, who contributed much in helping us define and keep focus on our mission, and Michael, who designed both the original website and the logo both left the board due to time constraints. Lauren Scharf, Vince Ng, Andrea Carlson and Louise Shimamoto joined. The membership grew to over 2,500. And we hosted the first Summit, which exceeded our expectations drawing in over 300 people, some of whom traveled internationally to attend.

I believe our speaker series contributed to the impressive turnout. The speakers’ contributions now provide a foundational knowledge base. We intentionally built a diverse group in terms of life experience and topics, everything from construction techniques, to economics, to organic gardening and community participation. Many speakers came to our notice via JJ Walsh’s Seeking Sustainability Live talk show as well as our own kominka networks. There were (and are!) far more potential contributors than space on the program, but this initial group did a great job of sharing the depth of their experiences and providing insightful commentary in their hour-long presentations. The community panel was an experiment to have three speakers interact with the audience.

For future Summits, improvements could be made in technology (microphone functionality!) and scheduling breaks between speakers. Having a handle on the number of potential audience members was important, and if it would have been higher than the 60 or so people we had at each talk, we would need more space.

Many audience members expressed how grateful they are for the inspirational speakers and how much they learned. My main goal–that speakers and audience members are able to forge meaningful connections–was clearly met. I have heard of people visiting each other’s homes, of ideas launching for community projects and possible publications. I have personally attended two retreats that came from Summit invitations, a “Minka meet up” and I know of others who have forged friendships…all which would not have happened had we not had the opportunity to meet in person.

This first Summit was largely put on FOR the membership by a small group of board members. From what I saw in the presentations and especially in the community panel, it is clear that all the participants have plenty to share. Going forward, I would like to see more membership involvement. Perhaps we could keep some space for speakers, but I would like to expand the conversation into Round Table Discussions where groups of members could have focused conversations on a variety of topics such as “Raising kids in the inaka”, “Toilets”, “Finding a kominka”, and so on as a way to share information.

We have only begun to tap the potential of this amazing group. Sunday at the Summit, I took a deep breath while drinking in the dawn and reflecting on the previous days. I realized that this magical weekend was changing lives. People-speakers and participants alike-are inspired and taking action. I am eager to see how future events can build on this momentum.

Andrea Carlson

Joining the Kominka Japan Facebook group in November 2021, I was struck by the incredible generosity of spirit that appeared to characterize the group. I am certain that this is not an uncommon reaction – the thoughtfulness of members in sharing experience, expertise, and resources about all things minka is truly extraordinary. Looking for someone to help repair a thatched roof in Tottori? Someone knows someone, or knows someone who knows someone, and shares contact details with you. Wondering about natural insulation options for your minka rebuild? A bunch of people write and tell you how they approached this. I now realize that this wonderful ethos of sharing is what the Kominka Japan community is all about.

The Minka Summit was, from my perspective, exactly that which we see on our phones and computer screens brought to life in the beautiful mountains in Hanase in Kyoto Prefecture. And that the setting was the stuff of minka fairytales just added to the magic of the experience.

For most of the Summit I was at the Minka Mall, both as an organizer and as a member of some NPOs which had booths there. And, as with the online group, I found the Minka Mall to be characterized by a very tangible atmosphere of generosity.

The individuals and groups who had booths in the Minka Mall came from near and (sometimes very) far, bringing large displays and items of all shapes and sizes. The thought, time, care, and expense that went into preparing booths, workshops, and demonstrations was evident – and it was clear that this enormous effort was motivated by a deep love of kominka and the desire to protect and preserve Japanese traditional built heritage and culture.

Visitors to the Minka Mall were also so wonderfully giving in terms of spending time at the booths, learning about the various skills, products, services, and initiatives on display and participating very enthusiastically in the interactive activities, including making chopsticks and – for the younger set – raising a miniature timber frame made of wood from old minka.

There was also a great deal of visiting, sharing, and discussing among those who had booths, during which connections were made and friendships forged. It was great fun and there was a real sense of camaraderie.

As the newest member of the Kominka Japan Board, I had the most limited role in planning and organizing Minka Summit 2022 [Ed. Note: Not true--Andrea's contributions were essential!] , but I hope this gives me license to say that the event – which Alex Kerr referred to as the "Woodstock of Minka" – was truly a tremendous success. The bar for future Minka Summits has been set very high indeed!

The Minka Summit 2022 organizers send our warmest thanks and gratitude to the Minka Mall participants:

Alex Kerr (Writer’s Booth)

http://alex-kerr.com

Daimon Brewery

https://www.daimonbrewery.com/index.php

Bartok Design Co.

https://bartokdesign.com

Suikoushya International Craft School in Kyoto

https://suikoushya.com

Toda Komuten

https://www.todasanchi.com

https://www.todasanchi.com/overseas-project