Earthship MIMA: possibilities of an off-grid, sustainable housing

In the central north of Tokushima Prefecture, just before the border into Kagawa Prefecture, a low-forming rainbow embraced the houses of the residents of Mima City. The taxi ride on the way to our destination, Earthship MIMA, was graced with bouts of drizzles caught in sunlight. Flanked by a clear river and the majestic range of mountains, Mima citizens enjoyed the sight for the next few hours.

We climbed the side of the mountain for about 20 minutes before being graced by our host, Tomoko Kurashina, and the autumn colorings of the spread of mountain view behind us. It is a view that Kurashina enjoys everyday living in Earthship MIMA, an off-grid housing. Kurashina moved from Kanagawa Prefecture to Tokushima’s Mima region in 2015 and is a finalist of the Tokushima Creation Award 2016 for Earthship MIMA.

What is Earthship?

Earthship is a sustainable, off-grid housing that uses garbage as building materials while incorporating ventilation and energy systems. Even though it focuses on being sustainable, it meets human needs, including food, energy, clean water, shelter, garbage management and sewage treatment. Michael Reynolds is the founder of the concept of Earthship, combining his architectural background and the global garbage problem to provide a low-cost, sustainable housing alternative.

Earthship MIMA is the only Earthship in Japan at the moment. Kurashina invited the Earthship specialists from abroad to get the foundations started. Discarded garbage like tires, glass bottles, and cans was collected to build the basic structure. “The tires took a little more time to collect because we needed to find tires of a certain size,” Kurashina shared with us.

The self-sufficiency of Earthship MIMA

Earthship MIMA maximizes the gifts from nature with creativity and planning, meeting our needs for housing while doing so sustainably.

While the strong winds outside brought the mountainside temperatures to about 10 degrees Celcius, the temperature inside was comfortable. In fact, the sun heated the insides to a warmer 27 degrees. It allowed us to see how temperatures can be cooled manually through the roof vents. It is always mind-blowing for a city dweller to think how a structure can remain around 21 degrees throughout summer and winter. A bit of reflection made us realize that we forgot that these techniques existed. Furthermore, most of the walls are made out of discarded tires, which lend themselves to retaining heat within the Earthship.

The water usage was another impressive feature of Earthship MIMA. Earthship MIMA harvests rainwater and snow into cisterns behind the building, tucked in the ground. A pumping system then purifies and dispenses the water to the taps and bathroom. A total of three gallons of water can be stored for use, varied by the weather.

Furthermore, the used water can be reused for growing food. The glass wall facing the sun provides heat for the house and growth for plants and vegetables. The space is both a farm and kitchen in one, which adds the proximity of nature.

The overall sense of living here is freedom. While sometimes there can be some inconveniences (like the washing machine is only available when the sun is out), it is liberating to know that whatever we use is natural and has a very minimal impact on the environment. Living here is comfortable using energy from the sun, natural ventilation that doesn’t require air conditioners, water from the rain and food grown through natural means.

Lessons from building Earthship MIMA

“You learn a lot while building Earthship, especially as the owner,” Kurashina reflected on her experience of building Earthship MIMA.

For example, the modern Japanese do not have a culture of building their own homes, but rather it is outsourced to professional companies. So there are a lot of similar-looking fixtures with few options to customize. Japan also doesn’t have huge hardware stores like other countries.

Many Japanese who visit Earthship MIMA are interested in building an off-grid house too. Surprisingly, the biggest obstacle is not sourcing materials or planning but meeting the building safety standards on both national and prefectural levels.

Japan is a disaster-prone nation with frequent earthquakes and seasonal typhoons. Earthship MIMA was also built to accommodate incoming travelers (as a study experience), so additional effort is put into ensuring strict rules for building standards.

Furthermore, the location to build such a unique structure is limited by zoning laws. Location and safety are probably the biggest obstacles holding the concept of Earthship back from more adoption in Japan.

Love the community and the environment

While comparing her experience in Kanagawa city, where there is a higher population, there is barely a sense of community. However, the community is more tightly knit among the residents around this area of northern Mima, which only houses 99 households. Furthermore, the residents speak their minds without hidden intentions or considerations, which is common in other parts of Japan.

Even when there are inconveniences living in Earthship MIMA, we are welcome to lean on the community. You not only learn to adapt to living within the limits of what nature provides, but you grow closer with the community as they start looking out for one another when you become “part of the pack.”

Furthermore, coronavirus can be an opportunity for a pause, which we direly need. It is as though the pause button for the world has been turned on, forcing us to reflect on our impact on nature and the kind of society that resulted from our actions. For Kurashina, she has found the perfect lifestyle because of the equilibrium with nature. She hopes we will take the opportunity to think about our relationship with the environment too.

Inspiring visitors to discover another way to coexist with nature

Even though Earthship MIMA is to stay available as a guesthouse, it is clear that it is not a business that employs sustainable architecture. For one, it is about sharing the possibility of sustainable off-grid housing. Kurashina wishes that anyone staying here or coming for the study experience will be inspired. Perhaps the guests will bring some of the ideas they have learned during their time here and implement them at home.

There is also a bigger message: Earthship MIMA suggests an alternative way to live with nature. The concept of sustainability is gaining popularity and penetration in Japan, with ideas like zero waste, renewable energy and sustainable building materials. An off-grid, self-sufficient housing like Earthship MIMA reconnects humans with nature. Even though it may bring inconveniences like lack of electricity on cloudy day streaks or water shortage in dry weather, we learn about the excesses. (Do we really need the television? Do we need 24-hour use of the washing machine?) That direct link with sunlight and rainfall allows us to learn to appreciate conveniences and the gifts of nature even more. It makes us think about the ecological ceiling too.

The future of Earthship in Japan

Kurashina would like to challenge building a second Earthship if there is an opportunity. However, instead of a replicate, she will make improvements that she had discovered in the past few years of living in Earthship MIMA. Earthship MIMA was created from a model blueprint for the basic functionalities, and Kurashina sees potential beyond it.

For example, the dependency on solar energy works well in the Earthship in Mexico, maximizing the strong sunlight throughout the year. Similarly, Earthships in Japan should maximize their leverage on the environment, including wind from mountainous areas and hydropower from rivers. Furthermore, there are many forms of off-grid housing in Japan and worldwide, demonstrating the latest technology. It is a good reminder that solutions are best implemented in a local context.

Additional notes: Staying at Earthship MIMA

It is possible to stay at Earthship MIMA, but note that it is not the standard accommodation rental. You will be staying with Kurashina as she shares with you the inner workings of Earthship MIMA as part of a study tour. Bookings are available in Japanese here, and take note that snow is possible in January and February, so please equip winter tires for your vehicles.