Exquisite Traditional Japanese Home in Hida's Scenic Kamioka Town
This newly built residence in Kamioka Town, Hida City, is a masterful blend of traditional Japanese aesthetics and modern, high-performance building standards. The property was constructed with meticulous attention to detail, specifically designed to harmonize with the local streetscape, as the central area of Kamioka is designated as a landscape preservation district, requiring careful consideration of exterior design and color tones.
To meet both the client's wishes and the district's requirements, the road-facing facade incorporates a traditional Japanese style commonly seen in the Hida region, featuring a staggered beam (雁行桁) and cloud-shaped bracket arms (雲/肘木). However, to avoid the poor insulation and airtightness typical of conventional post-and-beam construction, the front wall utilizes applied pillars and applied foundation sills. This innovative technique allowed for the creation of a thick insulated wall with a ventilation layer, significantly improving the building's performance while preserving the traditional aesthetic. Notably, the pillars at both ends of the road-facing side are made from substantial 6-inch square timber running the full height of the structure.
The interior is designed with barrier-free principles, eliminating steps and carefully considering corridor widths and door openings to ensure future wheelchair accessibility. High-quality natural materials are used throughout. The second-floor windows feature decorative latticework (出格子窓) with Japanese zelkova (ケヤキ) used for the mullions. The entrance ceiling is a coffered design (格天井) using Akita cedar, which emits a pleasant fragrance. The walls in the entrance hall are finished with a natural Satsuma Nakakirishima plaster, which offers benefits like humidity control and deodorization. The entrance step and formal step (上り框と式台) are crafted from a single solid slab of zelkova, and the interior doors are made from solid pine, with the handles also carved from solid wood for a superb tactile feel. The kitchen features a large storage space on its rear side, and the ceiling is lined with Yoshino cedar boards.
Externally, the left side of the entrance features an overlapping steel plate design that mimics traditional clapboard siding (下見板張り風), blending seamlessly with the townscape. The entrance tiles are natural stone, surrounded by a finish of exposed pea gravel. The home's thermal insulation performance exceeds the Next-Generation Energy-Saving Standards.
The property is located in the historic and scenic town of Kamioka in Gifu Prefecture. The area is renowned for its rich mining history and stunning mountain scenery. A major landmark nearby is the historic Hida Folk Village (飛騨民俗村), an open-air museum showcasing traditional thatched-roof houses and the architectural heritage of the Hida region, offering a deep dive into the local culture that inspired this home's design.
