Could the key to reviving Japan’s rural area lie in ancient building traditions? Euronews explores Miyama and Ōzu to find out how historic homes can help fuel sustainable tourism.
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00:00 (music)
00:03 Traveling offers so many opportunities
00:05 to learn about different customs and traditions.
00:07 That's why I'm here in the Japanese town of Miyama,
00:10 which is known for its thatched roof homes.
00:12 It's my starting point to learn about
00:14 traditional Japanese architecture
00:15 and meet the people who are working
00:17 to keep those traditions alive.
00:19 (music)
00:23 With more thatched homes than anywhere else in Japan,
00:25 Kayabuki no Sato is the jewel of Miyama.
00:29 (speaking in Japanese)
00:38 (speaking in Japanese)
00:55 (music)
00:58 Japan's thatching technique, called Kayabuki,
01:01 was recently recognized as a UNESCO
01:03 Intangible Cultural Heritage.
01:06 Today, only around 50 craftspeople
01:08 still know how to build like this.
01:10 (speaking in Japanese)
01:21 Haruo's son, Tora, organizes workshops
01:24 to educate visitors on Kayabuki.
01:27 (speaking in Japanese)
01:39 Thatched roofs must be replaced every 20 years.
01:44 They take the old straw and they use it as fertilizer
01:47 in the fields to grow new straw,
01:48 so it's all completely circular and completely recycled.
01:51 Thank you very much.
01:53 After getting my official Kayabuki certificate,
01:56 I settled in for the evening at the family's bed
01:58 and breakfast.
02:00 This house was built 150 years ago.
02:03 Tora was actually born in one of these rooms.
02:07 I'm joining the family for dinner around the irori,
02:10 a traditional sunken hearth.
02:12 (speaking in Japanese)
02:25 This is where I'm sleeping tonight,
02:28 a traditional Japanese futon
02:30 underneath this vaulted thatched roof.
02:32 It feels like a different era.
02:34 (music)
02:40 My next stop is Ozu.
02:42 Often called Little Kyoto,
02:43 the picturesque village on the Hiji River
02:45 is surrounded by mountains.
02:48 Ozu was once an attractive place to visit,
02:50 but its population has halved since the 1950s.
02:54 Locals began noticing its historic homes
02:57 were disappearing, too.
02:59 Here we have a very old house,
03:01 maybe 100 years old.
03:02 It's still standing there.
03:04 And next to it, we have a void.
03:08 There used to be a very beautiful house as well,
03:11 but it disappeared.
03:12 And not only here, over there as well,
03:14 and over there.
03:15 Spanish researcher Diego Cosa Fernandez
03:17 is part of an initiative to breathe new life into Ozu.
03:21 Some vacant buildings have been transformed
03:23 into trendy shops,
03:24 highlighting work by local artists and artisans.
03:27 Others are now luxury hotel rooms
03:30 scattered around the village.
03:32 The project has won Ozu international acclaim
03:34 for sustainable tourism.
03:36 One of our goals is just blending
03:38 the local community with the newcomers
03:41 and making this local community
03:43 part of the project as well.
03:46 (music)
03:48 I'm ending my trip with a contemplative moment
03:51 at one of Ozu's most visited institutions.
03:55 Garu Yusanso's open-air tea house
03:57 is where I'm taking part
03:58 in my first Japanese tea ceremony.
04:01 (music)
04:05 Balance and harmony are at the center.
04:08 (music)
04:10 Before drinking tea,
04:12 you say, "Otemae choudai itashimasu."
04:16 Easy. "Otemae choudai itashimasu."
04:18 "Choudai itashimasu."
04:19 Yes.
04:21 (speaking Japanese)
04:35 (music)
04:43 Sometimes ancient traditions
04:45 can feel surprisingly modern.
04:49 My stay in Miyama and Ozu
04:51 has been a reminder that there is no future
04:54 without the past.
04:55 (music)
04:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]