Kominka Japan announces Minka Summit 2023, its largest event ever

Kominka Japan, founded in 2016, is organizing Minka Summit 2023, an event that brings together knowledgeable speakers, panels, workshops, artisans, merchants and NPOs. The summit is designed for both minka owners and individuals who are searching for their ideal minka. The presentations will be conducted in both English and Japanese, with language support available for attendees.

From April 21-23, 2023, the venue for the event will be Aichi Prefectural Citizens’ Forest, situated in the mountainous region of Shinshiro, Aichi.

Guest speakers

Yoshihiro Takishita, Japan’s foremost minka architect, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s event. He has been disassembling minka from Gifu Prefecture and relocating them to other regions of Japan and even as far as Buenos Aires and Honolulu since 1967. These traditional homes are considered the epitome of minka renovation and are showcased in his renowned book, Japanese Country Living. Takishita is also the central figure in the short documentary, Minka: A Farmhouse in Japan, which is based on the memoirs of Associated Press journalist, John Roderick.

The summit boasts a diverse range of activities including presentations, panel discussions, writers’ talks and DIY workshops featuring some of the most highly regarded experts in Japanology, architecture, craft, sustainability, community-building and minka enthusiasts. Notable speakers include Alex Kerr, a lifelong advocate for minka and inaka living whose 300-year-old minka in the Iya Valley, known as “Chiiori,” is one of the most renowned in Japan. Azby Brown, author of influential books like The Genius of Japanese Carpentry and Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan, will also be speaking.

Karen Hill Anton, whose memoir The View From Breast Pocket Mountain recounts her life in a rural nouka, is another featured speaker. Austin H. Moore, a longtime supporter of minka preservation and founding director of the Shimazaki Zembei Foundation, will also participate in the event. Emily Kaneko Reynolds, a master plasterer and author of Japan’s Clay Walls: A Glimpse into Their Plaster Craft and Sakan at Work: Japan’s Natural Plasters, will share her expertise, as well as Kyoto-based organic farmer and educator Chuck Keyser, who will discuss his passion for sustainable agriculture.

Onsite experience

The event will showcase a “Minka Mall” where vendors will sell traditional minka furniture and components, and skilled carpenters and artisans will showcase their craft. Visitors can also learn from minka NPOs and grassroots organizations present at the mall. To provide a more immersive experience, workshops will be held on topics like traditional Japanese carpentry and plasterwork.

One of the Summit’s main attractions is the opportunity for visitors to create a customized “minka tour” itinerary, selecting from a diverse range of minka styles and periods at different stages of renovation. These locations are conveniently located in close proximity to the main venue.

This event is anticipated to draw traditional minka enthusiasts, including foreign residents from various regions in Japan and beyond. The previous year’s MINKA SUMMIT 2022, held in the rural village of Hanase, north of Kyoto, was a remarkable triumph, dubbed “the Woodstock of minka” by acclaimed author Alex Kerr. Initially intended as a small, casual gathering of around 30-40 people, the event attracted over 400 attendees from all over Japan, and despite COVID restrictions, even some from as far as Poland, with the inclusion of over a dozen speakers and other special events.

About Kominka Japan

From its humble beginnings in 2016 with only nine members, the Kominka Japan Facebook page has grown to encompass over 3,000 members from various parts of the world. These individuals enthusiastically share their love for this significant form of Japanese architecture, exchanging valuable information and working together towards the common goal of preserving these endangered and iconic homes.

According to Stuart Galbraith IV, the founder of Kominka Japan and a resident of a 213-year-old minka, recent global news articles on affordable akiya have sparked significant interest in kominka. He adds that last year’s MINKA SUMMIT showcased a growing trend of foreign residents and Japanese citizens purchasing akiya-type minka across Japan’s rural areas and renovating them, often with guidance from local traditional craftsmen or through self-taught DIY techniques shared among members of the Kominka Japan Facebook page and YouTube.

Andrea Carlson, the lead organizer of MINKA SUMMIT 2023 and a board member of Kominka Japan based in Aichi, is available for interviews in English and Japanese. Galbraith is available for interviews in English via Zoom or locally in Kyoto. Throughout March and April, media previews of the venue, interviews with special guests and other arrangements can be made.

Event details

MINKA SUMMIT 2023 will be open to the public for three days and two nights only:
• Friday April 21 – 12:00-9:00pm
• Saturday April 22 – 7:30-9:00pm
• Sunday April 23 – 7:30am-4:30pm

Admission (available on Peatix or at the door):
3-Day Pass
• Adults: ¥5,000
• Seniors (over 65 yrs): ¥2,000
• Students: ¥1,500
• Children (12 yrs and under): Free

1-Day Ticket
• Adults: ¥2,500
• Seniors: ¥1,000
• Students: ¥500
• Children: Free

Dinner and Keynote Speech (Saturday) ONLY
• Adults: ¥5,000
• Seniors: ¥3,000
• Children: ¥1,000

Venue

Address:
Aichi Prefecture Citizens’ Forest, Horaiji 7-60, Kadoya, Shinshiro, 441-1693

Aichi Prefecture Citizens’ Forest is a 15-minute walk from Mikawa-Makihara Station on the JR Iida Line from Toyohashi (Tokyo – Toyohashi 1 hour 20 minutes by Hikari; Osaka – Toyohashi 1 hour 32 minutes by Hikari). The venue is easily accessible by car from the Shin-Tomei and San-en Nanshin Expressways, by highway buses from Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya that stop at the nearby Mokkuru Roadside Station.

Minka Summit 2023 is presented by Kominka Japan, with generous local logistical support from Japan Kominka Association’s International Office, Aichi Kominka Association, and Inakakurashitai, an Okumikawa-based NPO.

For more information visit:
www.kominkajapan.org (Kominka Japan website, English and Japanese)