House in Shiga

From the listing

At the edge of a village with views of Mt. Ibuki; close to the Anesai River with abundant water and irrigation channels throughout the community. From the house, you can gaze upon the majestic Mt. Ibuki across the rice paddies and experience the seasonal beauty throughout the year. / We introduce a nostalgic thatched-roof home. / A distinctive red triangular roof visible from afar, full of charm and character. Looking up at the gable, the character "water" (水) is written below the roof ornament, a traditional amulet to protect houses from fire, still commonly seen in the Kohoku region. / Upon entering through the front entrance, there is a spacious earthen floor with gleaming smoke-blackened bamboo overhead. Beyond lies a through passage with an old kitchen stove (okudosan). The tiled sink is lovely, and the bright, clean kitchen with many windows is cheerful. The washbasin, toilet, and bath area retain retro tiled character that pairs beautifully with wooden glass fixtures! / The room layout is four 8-tatami rooms in a田の字 (square) pattern. High ceilings and generous tatami rooms, with a veranda facing the southern garden that catches the warm afternoon sun. / The landlord recalled: "In summer, we'd remove all the tatami mats to air them out and spend time on the bare wooden floor. The ventilation is wonderful. Sweeping the floor was the children's job." Year-end cleaning involved scrubbing every pillar, beam, and ceiling board, a task for the young. "We'd light the bath fire and buff everything until it shined; only then could we welcome the new year with peace of mind." The pillars and beams darkened by smoke, the lattice ceiling, their splendor today comes from generations of careful maintenance. / The landlord lived here as a child until age 18, when he left for employment in the Kanto region. "When snow piled up, everything, roads, paddies, fields, became one white expanse. On such days, I'd walk straight across the white earth to school." The nostalgic image of snowy winter in Kohoku evokes warmth. In those days, they raised cattle and worked the rice paddies, with farm work beginning before dawn and the whole family participating. From childhood, he'd help with chores before heading to school. The household engaged in sericulture, making straw sandals and woven mats, as well as miso-making and koji production. The sitting room was a gathering place for the family, a workspace for handicrafts, and home to countless cherished memories. / Near the Anesai River with irrigation channels throughout, the landlord recalled: "Fish are scarce now, but we used to catch them by hand. There were spots where fish would gather. Friends and I would splash through the small channels, damming them with our hands, we'd catch so many!" He spoke with joy of adventures immersed in nature. The possibilities for play outdoors are endless; nature is the perfect playground for children! / From the front earthen floor, a steep ladder leads to the attic. A small window lets in natural light, creating a softly illuminated space. The smoke-blackened thatching framework is powerful and impressive! There lay numerous farm implements pulled by oxen, baskets used for sericulture, kindling brush, and firewood, time-stopped tools sleeping in the shadows, each explained carefully by the landlord. Though neither particularly convenient nor wealthy, the days of a family caring for their home by hand touch the heart deeply and move one to tears. / Features: 【Thatched roof】 A distinctive thatched roof in the community, charming in its traditional character. 【Kitchen stove】 An old stove (okudosan) awaits beyond the through passage, and the tiled sink paired with wooden fixtures creates an excellent atmospheric combination. 【Unconnected to sewer】 Not yet connected to municipal sewage; connecting would greatly improve comfort. 【Attic】 Old farm tools, baskets from sericulture, kindling brush and firewood, time-stopped treasures create the feeling of time travel. 【Slatted doors】 Traditional wooden glass fixtures remain throughout, with "slatted doors" (ささら戸) in the entrance displaying the refined craftsmanship of traditional Japanese architecture.