Kominka is a comprehensive book all about traditional Japanese houses called kominka written and curated by Kazuo Hasegawa. Due out 1st July 2024 from Museyon, it's 411 pages and will be available in hardcover format.
Different cultures have responded to the demands of climate and physical terrain, cultural norms, and societal and familial needs for housing in vastly differing ways. Currently in the world, especially in metropolitan and high density population areas, many (most?) of the traditional ways have been laid aside in the interests of packing the most people into the smalles spaces, hopefully safely, but most importantly efficiently, and the result has been very large cities which are more or less the same, the world over.
Japan has been no different. The centuries old traditional kominka has been laid aside, often demolished, to make way for more modern structures. The author has written an encyclopedic volume, very well illustrated with both drawings and photos, which explore and celebrate the traditional Japanese housing forms.
The book is divided into three main parts: a thorough primer on kominka and the common features they share, a "top kominka list" with maps which the author curated during his travels as a design magazine writer, and finally, the authors own journal refurbishing his own dwelling in traditional manner.
Five stars. It's a niche book, but very very well written, showing (for western readers) aesthetic forms and storage solutions which are not often accessible in the available English language architectural literature. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, for nonfiction readers, and possible for gift giving.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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