FEATURED EVENT
LECTURE | BETWEEN HOMES
Join Andrea Carlson and Koji Toda for an exploration of endangered traditional Japanese
buildings—including kominka (古民家; traditional Japanese farmhouse, merchant house, or rural dwelling),
kura (倉 or 蔵; storehouse), temples (お寺; otera), shrines (神社; jinja),
gates (鳥居; torii), and other historic structures—and the efforts to preserve their
craftsmanship, history, cultural significance, and continued life in Japan and overseas.
Why This Talk Matters Now
Across Japan, traditional wooden structures—including
kominka (古民家; traditional Japanese farmhouse, merchant house, or rural dwelling),
kura (倉 or 蔵; storehouse), temples (お寺; otera), gates (鳥居; torii),
shrines (神社; jinja), and other historic buildings—are disappearing at an alarming rate.
As rural populations decline and communities change, increasing attention is being given to
preservation, adaptive reuse, sustainability, craftsmanship, and the cultural value of existing buildings.
These structures embody generations of architectural knowledge, sophisticated carpentry and joinery,
regional design traditions, locally sourced materials, and relationships between people, buildings,
and landscapes that have evolved over centuries. They represent not only remarkable examples of
craftsmanship and design, but also important cultural and historical resources.
This presentation explores traditional Japanese buildings and the craftsmanship, knowledge,
materials, traditions, and stories they embody. Through examples drawn from current
preservation projects in Japan and overseas, it examines the challenges and opportunities
involved in ensuring that these structures continue to have relevance and meaning for future generations.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Andrea Carlson
Director of Programs, Education & Research Chancellor
Kominka Collective
Andrea Carlson works to support the preservation, documentation, stewardship,
relocation, reconstruction, adaptive reuse, and public interpretation of traditional Japanese
architecture through the Kominka Collective.
Her work includes educational programs, exhibitions, public presentations, architectural
study tours, cultural exchange initiatives, and research related to Japan’s built cultural
heritage and traditional building arts.
She also serves as Director of Programs & Initiatives for the Minka Preservation Society.
Andrea is Professor Emeritus at Aichi Prefectural University and a Visiting Researcher
at the Anthropological Institute at Nanzan University.
Koji TODA
Preservation & Adaptive Reuse Specialist
Toda Komuten
Koji Toda oversees the traditional architecture, preservation,
relocation, reconstruction, and adaptive reuse work of
Toda Komuten,
a family-run design-build company in Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture, with roots
in the Taishō era and a long tradition of wooden architecture.
He has coordinated the preservation, relocation, reconstruction, and renewal
of endangered traditional Japanese structures for cultural institutions,
Japanese gardens, retreat centers, and private clients in Japan and overseas.
He also supports workshops, educational programs, and cultural exchange
initiatives related to traditional Japanese building arts and heritage preservation.
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