The Akiya Project

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit akiyaproject.substack.comThe past month has been filled with gatherings with friends and family. First, my best friend from high school traveled to Japan with his family for a vacation. He made the trip up the mountain to my place and I had some tough work prepared for him! We completed a pretty big pour of concrete for the kitchen floor. I made sure he carved his name into the wet concrete for safe keeping. It meant a lot for him to make the trip up just to help with the renovation. To thank him for his time and effort, I took him to this great onsen in Ashiya called Shio-Ashiya Onsen Suishun (highly recommended if you’re ever near Kobe). It’s well-organized and has everything from massage baths, saunas, steam rooms, medicinal baths, electric pulse baths, to outdoor baths. Just a few weeks ago, a huge number of aunts, uncles, and cousins made trips to Japan. On the first night in Kyoto, I took them all to Kimura Sukiyaki. It’s run by a very Showa-era family; that is to say, they only accept cash, store your shoes for you at the front door, don’t speak much English, have poorly translated menus, and offer a truly authentic Japanese experience. The next day, we all meet up at the beautiful Demachiyanagi Delta in Kyoto for a big Costco sushi picnic. Next time, I hope I can host them all up at the fully renovated house. The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell BerryWendell Berry is an iconic essayist within the fields of agriculture and conservation. Today, I walk through some of his most powerful writing from the 70s to the 90s.I first came across his work while in college and he left an imprint strong enough to compel me to revisit it today — almost a decade later. If you know me by now, its easy to see why. He speaks about how important land ownership and land use are to a healthy community and citizenry. He elevates this kind of discussion into a moral plane, for land owning and land use is not enough. Land is created not by man but by God. Land is a gift, and he argues that we must practice stewardship (and reject exploitation) if we are to deserve the privilege of private land ownership.Most importantly, he believes that honest labor is inextricably tied to human dignity. We cannot expect to outsource work to machines or exploited human labor without consequence. Throughout his life’s work, he offers ideas of a well-functioning local economy as an antidote. Please enjoy this episode as we explore the critiques and hopes of Wendell Berry.Tired of akiya renovation advice from people who've never held a hammer in Japan? I've spent 3 years making every mistake so you don't have to. Join hundreds of fellow renovators for just $5/month (less than one batch of concrete!)Books Mentioned In This Episode:When you purchase a book (or anything on Amazon) with the links below, you support me and the podcast at no extra cost to you:* The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry by Wendell BerryLinks to More Resources:* Wendell Berry* Shio-Ashiya Onsen Suishun* Kimura Sukiyaki* Jeffersonian Democracy* The Bank That Hamilton Built* Swiss Cultural Landscapes* William Carlos Williams* The Beauty of Everyday Things by Soetsu Yanagi* Jichikai (Japanese Self-Governing Associations)* Learn Ikebana in Kobe (with me and a local expert!) on TripAdvisor* The Akiya Project on YouTubeUnlock the rest of this post below, including 200+ exclusive photos, step-by-step videos, detailed supplier lists, and real renovation costs from my hands-on restoration of a 100-year-old Japanese farmhouse. See exactly how I navigated permits, found traditional materials, and saved ¥900,000 in contractor costs through DIY methods 👇

In this episode, I walk through my observations upon returning to the US from Japan and share what I witnessed after the outbreak of the LA fires, which have filled headlines worldwide.Commenting on current events is a bit out of the norm for the podcast. However, I offer a quick history of 13 years of life to help illustrate the personal perspective I have on the disaster. I also briefly mention Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue.For those of you who would like to get into the weeds with me about Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue, I wrote an all-to-short summary of his thesis below. He deserves to be studied deeply.In short, I will argue that we are indeed living in an age after virtue. A suffocating, growing, cold bureaucracy has filled that vacuum. But in the aftermath of the fires, I also witnessed the human spirit in the streets of Pasadena.The Enlightenment’s MistakeAccording to MacIntyre, the Enlightenment thinkers (18th-century philosophers like Kant, Bentham) wanted to replace Aristotle’s virtue ethics — which tied morality to shared human purpose (telos) — with “rational” systems like rights and utility. But by foregoing the idea that humans have a built-in moral purpose, they turned ethics into a free-for-all. Without a common “why” for morality, debates became clashes of personal preference, not mutual pursuits of truth through reason.The Death of VirtueAristotle’s virtues (courage, justice, etc.) thrived in communities with shared goals. In the pursuit of maximizing individual freedom, the Enlightenment rejected Aristotelian virtue — throwing the baby out with the bathwater. People began treating ethics like a menu of opinions, prioritizing personal preference. This is why public discourse is so shrill in the modern era, according to MacIntyre. “Abortion is wrong” and “Gun ownership is wrong” are shallow arguments rooted in the speaker’s likes and dislikes as opposed to a higher aim for human flourishing. This fractured the social fabric.MacIntry calls this emotivism. “X is wrong” just means “I dislike X.” Without a shared understanding of virtue, debates became manipulative power struggles. There’s no common ground — just competing preferences.Bureaucracy’s RiseInto this moral vacuum stepped bureaucrats. They claimed “neutral expertise” to manage society “scientifically.” But this is susceptible to human weakness and cowardice:* Managers pretend to be value-neutral but enforce their desires (profit, power, slacking off work, giving their friends a pass).* Institutions prioritize external goods (money, metrics) over internal goods (craftsmanship, care).In my opinion, this is one of many reasons why buildings are so ugly today. Craftsmanship is not valued today as it was in the old world. What is valued today is how quickly you can build something with efficiently priced labor and materials.Why Bureaucracy is a Moral Catastrophe* It Crowds Out Virtue: Bureaucracies reduce people to data points. Teachers “teach to tests,” universities chase quotas. Instead of mentoring students through childhood or accepting the most worthy applicant, for example, such moral judgment is replaced by compliance.* It Destroys Community: Bureaucracies fragment society into isolated individuals. In a virtuous society, communities cultivate trust through face-to-face relationships, reciprocal duties, and a common understanding of telos.This telos was perfectly illustrated in the generosity displayed after the outbreak of the LA fires. There was a shared story of “we’re going to help each other out to rebuild”. Bureaucracies fragment these stories into isolated incidents to be "managed," divorcing actions from their moral context.To be honest, I deeply believe MacIntyre is right: We’re in a moral dark age. But as I discuss in the episode, I saw decency in the aftermath of the fires. Fellow residents were lending a hand — no permits required. At the end of the day, Altadena and the Palisades will rebuild — not because a committee approved it, but because neighbors showed up.Tired of akiya renovation advice from people who've never held a hammer in Japan? I've spent 3 years making every mistake so you don't have to. Join hundreds of fellow renovators for just $5/month (less than one batch of concrete!)Books Mentioned In This Episode:When you purchase a book (or anything on Amazon) with the links below, you support me and the podcast at no extra cost to you:* After Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyreLinks to More Resources:* Americana at Brand* Rick Caruso* Hyatt Regency in Austin, TX* Buc-ee's* California, the most regulated state in the USA* Cafe Frosch in Kyoto* Yumeji Vintage Villa in Kyoto* Graduate Institute Geneva Maison de la Paix building* Picciotto Student Residence Building* Japan Tobacco International Building* WWOOF: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms* Change.org Poll Demanding the Immediate Recall of LA Mayor Karen Bass* Learn Ikebana in Kobe (with me and a local expert!) on TripAdvisor* The Akiya Project on YouTube This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit akiyaproject.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit akiyaproject.substack.comThe first concrete has been poured beneath the previous foundation! The process will continue several more times, which will ensure that the house does not heave or shift unevenly over time or fail during an earthquake.In other news, we have running water on the property thanks to a deep well cleaning and the installation of a brand-new pump. The well now has a capacity of 2.5 tons of water per day! I am in the middle of editing a video about the cleaning process for the YouTube channel, so I will share that here next time. For now, you can listen to me describe a bit of the process in today’s episode.Unbeknownst to me for weeks, episode #40 went missing from the catalog. I am not sure how this happened but my interview with Steve Beimel was fantastic, and I think it deserves to be shared far and wide across Japan. I’ve re-uploaded it this week. I enjoyed listening back to our discussion. I recalled my subsequent visit to the School of Traditional Building Arts in Kyoto and learning how to use the Pythagorean theorem, a chalk line, and a handsaw to carve a wood joint. It was also wonderful to reflect on how far things have progressed since the time of the interview (just over one year ago).I hope you enjoy this re-broadcast as much as I did.Tired of akiya renovation advice from people who've never held a hammer in Japan? I've spent 3 years making every mistake so you don't have to. Join hundreds of fellow renovators for just $5/month (less than one batch of concrete!)Books Mentioned In This Episode:When you purchase a book (or anything on Amazon) with the links below, you support me and the podcast at no extra cost to you:* The Beauty of Everyday Things* Japanese Country StyleLinks to More Resources:* JapanCraft21.com* Japan Traditional Craft Revitalization Contest* Learn Ikebana in Kobe (with me and a local expert!) on TripAdvisor* JapanLivingArts.com* Mingei Folk Craft* Soetsu Yanagi* “Yō-no-bi”* Shin-Machiya Juku (School of Traditional Building Arts)* Tokonoma Alcove* Yoshihiro Takishita* Minka Summit* Melmac* Kengo KumaUnlock the rest of this post below, including 200+ exclusive photos, step-by-step videos, detailed supplier lists, and real renovation costs from my hands-on restoration of a 100-year-old Japanese farmhouse. See exactly how I navigated permits, found traditional materials, and saved ¥900,000 in contractor costs through DIY methods 👇

With a month-long trip back to California, I took time off from the project and enjoyed reading The Old Way of Seeing by Jonathan Hale. I first heard about the book from Brent Hull, a master craftsman who wrote an article titled “Books Every Builder Should Own” for the wonderful magazine Fine Homebuilding.In a democracy, equality is among society’s highest ideals. One drawback, Hale argues, is that we tend toward mediocrity. As the Japanese saying goes, “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” Hale pushes back against this, pointing out that our built world has become increasingly ugly. Despite saying the obvious, our society remains uncomfortable with such harsh judgment. It prefers to maintain the average.In this book, Hale illustrates this view, contrarian to our modern times. He makes the case that the old way of seeing produced beauty, and that we have lost that ability. He dives into what made the old way of seeing so powerful, namely that the ancients were more in touch with human intuition, natural patterns, and the ethic of play. He provides a history of when and how we lost the old way of seeing. He discusses how the vision of the modernists and the post-modernists fell short. And he concludes with a hope for the future.He presents Frank Lloyd Wright as the greatest architect of our modern times. He understood the importance of pattern and form, yet he knew how to innovate. He was not tied down by historical precedent, yet he knew how to play with and off of old buildings. Most of all, he understood his culture and designed homes that epitomized American democratic life.I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did! I am back in Japan now and preparing for the most grueling stage of the project: retrofitting the foundation. I’ll update you more on that next time. In the interim, have a look at our new YouTube channel to see our successful implementation of a French Drain. Thanks again.Local Japan Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Books Mentioned In This Episode:When you purchase a book (or anything on Amazon) with the links below, you support me and the podcast at no extra cost to you:* The Old Way of Seeing* The Classical Language of Architecture* Democracy in America* After VirtueLinks to More Resources:* The Akiya Project on YouTube* Learn Ikebana in Kobe (with me and a local expert!) on TripAdvisor* Jonathan Hale* Brent Hull* Books Every Builder Should Own by Brent Hull* Fine Homebuilding* Edward Hopper* Vesica piscis* Alexis de Tocqueville* Democracy in America* Tyranny of the majority* Nicholas Biddle* Golden ratio* Alasdair MacIntyre* Reconstructed Historic Center of Warsaw* Ralph Waldo Emerson* Frank Lloyd Wright* What are Usonian-style homes? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit akiyaproject.substack.com/subscribe

It’s easy to get discouraged during these early phases when my brother and I are literally moving earth with nothing but shovels, a wheelbarrow, and our bare hands. We move forward inch by inch. On some days, it does not feel as though we complete much. But when I look back at the photos from one month ago, our progress becomes clear. I feel gratified with the hard work.This project has humbled me to the raw power of nature. We’ve exerted great energy in forcing the sprawling bamboo roots to unclinch their grip on the earth. We’ve hauled away buckets and buckets of soil that flooded the house over the decades. Most of all, we’ve witnessed the power of water. Wherever we’ve seen a crack in the roof, we’ve found rotting wood below. Water has also seeped up from the ground and into the crawlspace air, destroying the underside of the floorboards. Water has even softened the soil near the foundation, making the stones start to slip downward. Our most successful task this month has been the digging of over 300 feet of trenches, to be used as a French drain. This is all in the name of getting the water out. In addition to channeling rain and groundwater into the nearby river, the drain system will also lower the land’s water table. This will keep our future footings dry and will reduce the amount of moisture that enters the crawlspaces. Once this is done, foundation work will begin. My architect has just begun to draw plans and details for the footings. This will no doubt occupy our July and August. This is the most important part of the structure, so the investment of sweat and persistence will surely pay dividends. Wish us luck.Today’s book, Be Your Own House Contractor: Save 25% Without Lifting a Hammer, has been a great resource for me to ease my anxiety about the intensity of the work. The author Carl Heldmann provides well-organized lists of every home-building step you need to consider, a breakdown of costs, and the proper sequence of steps. This orderly information has helped me put into perspective where I am now and how far I need to keep going. My architect has told me, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” This book has helped me understand my place in that marathon and manage my energy for the upcoming year. I hope you find it just as useful.Local Japan Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Books Mentioned In This Episode:When you purchase a book (or anything on Amazon) with the links below, you support me and the podcast at no extra cost to you:* Be Your Own House Contractor: Save 25% Without Lifting a Hammer by Carl Heldmann* Passive House Details: Solutions for High-Performance DesignLinks to More Resources:* The Akiya Project on YouTube* Build Your Own House website (www.byoh.com)* Learn Ikebana in Kobe (with me and a local expert!) on TripAdvisorCost Breakdowns Provided in the Book* Permits, fees, surveys* Installing Utilities (electric, gas, phone)* Excavation* Foundation* Rough Lumber* Rought Labor* Windows and Exterior Doors* Roofing* Concrete flatwork (slabs) garage floors, basement floors* Siding* Plumbing* Heating* Electrical* Insulation* Water (Well)* Sewer (Septic)* Fireplaces* Drywall* Cabinets* Interior Trim* Interior Trim Labor* Painting* Applications* Light Fixtures* Floor Coverings* Driveway* Garage Door* OtherProper Sequence of Steps in Building the House, according to Carl Heldmann:* Staking the lot and house: 1–3 hours* Clearing and excavation: 1–3 days * Ordering utilities, temporary electric service, and a portable toilet: 1 hour * Footings (first inspection must be made before pouring): 1 day * Foundation and soil treatment, then foundation survey: 1 week * Rough-ins for plumbing, if on a slab, and inspection: 2–4 days * Slabs, basement, and garage: 1–2 days * Framing and drying-in: 1–3 weeks * Exterior siding, trim, veneers: 1–3 weeks * Chimneys and roofing: 2 days–1 week * Rough-ins (can be done during steps 9 and 10): 1–2 weeks * Insulation: 3 days * Hardwood flooring and underlayment: 3 days–1 week * Drywall: 2 weeks * Priming walls and pointing up: 2 days * Interior trim and cabinets: 1–2 weeks * Painting: 2–3 weeks * Other trims, such as Formica, ceramic tile, vinyl floors: 1 day-1week * Trimming out and finishing plumbing, mechanical, and electrical and hooking up utilities: 1–2 weeks * Cleanup: 2–3 days * Carpet and/or hardwood floor finish: 3 days–1 week * Driveway (if concrete, can be poured anytime after step 14): 1–3 days * Landscaping: 1–3 days * Final inspections, surveys, and closing of construction loan and interim loan: 1–3 days * Enjoying your home: a lifetimeNote: Steps 2 and 4 can be done by one sub. Steps 3 and 4 can be reversed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit akiyaproject.substack.com/subscribe

Just a few days ago, a 3D modeling company brought over their cameras and tripods to scan the ins and outs of the property (my architect in California will use the data to visualize the site since he can’t visit in person). I’ll share more about this important step soon, but recently, I’ve been reflecting much more on the manual clean-up required to prepare for the scan.Whenever I would encounter other forms of life up there, like lizards, spiders, and even orange slime molds, my fight or flight responses would kick in, my pupils would dilate, and my body would rush with adrenaline. In our safe, manufactured cities, I rarely needed to turn on these instincts. But up in the mountains, I have found myself gaining a greater awareness of and connection to my natural surroundings.One day, I pulled a heavy cabinet off the front lawn and uncovered the shelter of not one, but two Japanese pit vipers (mamushi). As it turns out, mamushi are one of two venomous snakes in Japan. I had probably walked past them daily for weeks without even knowing it! They have since slithered away in retreat, but I’m sure they’re not too far. Equally startling to me was my encounter with a pair of rodents. I had just finished removing a stack of rotten wood and was sweeping up the remaining heavy debris. Resting beneath this layer of debris were two newly-born mice — pink, hairless, and totally helpless. Their infant form was both disarming and creepy. I lightly covered them back up, hoping their mother would return (especially before the snakes find them).In addition to the vast but forgotten ecosystems that exist before our eyes, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for something else we often take for granted and even look down upon: trash collectors.Since the 3D scan was a big expense and a one-time camera shoot, the site had to be as clean as possible. I removed over one hundred bags of trash and nearly one ton of scrap metal that the previous owners left. I was so desperate to get the ever-increasing mountain of trash bags out of my house that, as a customer of trash disposal services, I would have been happy to pay an extra inconvenience fee for the sheer volume I was amassing. On trash day, I stuffed the neighborhood collection area to the brim and drove away nervously, hoping the collectors would accept my trash. When I drove past later in the afternoon, the bags had disappeared and no warning notices had been posted. The trash collectors were simply doing their jobs, but from my elated perspective, they had taken a great burden off my shoulders for just 80 yen per bag. I brought a truckload of trash to the collection area four more times, and every time it happened, I couldn’t believe that they would just take it away. Disposing of trash is much like flushing the toilet. We do it every day, and so we tend to forget how miraculous of a system it really is. Since I’m working on a piece of land that has no cement road, water, or electricity yet, I’ve become forced into awareness about the value of these modern comforts.I’m sure that this is only the beginning of the stories that I’ll have to tell once the renovation enters full swing. Now that the design work is ready to commence and the clean-up is finishing up, I’ve been returning my attention to the principles and tactics of homebuilding. So please enjoy this episode of the Local Japan podcast as we explore the Bible of timber framing, Building the Timber Frame House: The Revival of a Forgotten Art by Tedd Benson.Local Japan Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Books Mentioned In This Episode:When you purchase a book (or anything on Amazon) with the links below, you support me and the podcast at no extra cost to you:* Building the Timber Frame House: The Revival of a Forgotten Art* Learn to Timber Frame: Craftsmanship, Simplicity, Timeless Beauty* The Art Of Japanese Joinery* The Genius of Japanese Carpentry: Secrets of an Ancient Woodworking Craft* Passive House Details: Solutions for High-Performance Design* The Not So Big HouseLinks to More Resources:* Tedd Benson* Bensonwood* Build Show Podcast: Restoring the Past, Building the Future* Barnwood Builders* Soetsu Yanagi* Todaiji Temple: World’s Largest Wood Structure* The Timber Framers Guild* Building Science Corporation* Learn Ikebana in Kobe (with me and a local expert!) on TripAdvisor13 Essential Joints Listed in the Book:* Mortise and Tenon* Shouldered Mortise and Tenon* Anchor-Beam Joint* Knee-Brace Joint* Scarf Joint* Housed Dovetail* Tusk Tenon* Dovetail* Corner Joints at Sill* Joints at Rafter Feet* Tongue and Fork* Collar-Tie Joint* Framed Overhang This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit akiyaproject.substack.com/subscribe

The contract, payment, and legal documentation all went through successfully this month — officially making me a homeowner and landowner in Japan! Frankly, there is a good reason why I was able to acquire the property for the price that I did. It seems that the structure was hardly ever updated in its 100+ year life to meet modern standards of the day. To make matters more extreme, for the past 30 years, its previous owners left it abandoned to degrade into the mountainside. But no matter, this is precisely why I am here.I extend my deepest gratitude to Nishimura-san and the whole team at Nishimura-gumi, who helped me acquire the kominka. First, they accepted my offer to volunteer for free doing whatever they needed at their work sites. They very well could have brushed me off. As I came to help several times a week, we built trust over time. When I approached them for support to find a property of my own, they gathered their networks and resources to pinpoint places for me to check out. They even helped me complete the legal documentation after purchasing it, which certainly would have been difficult to do in Japanese at the legal affairs bureau.Ultimately, they gave me an opportunity. That’s what I’ll truly remember and appreciate forever.In my year-long experience of searching for a property to restore in Japan, I have met many good people who have gone out of their way to offer their time and resources. I have also encountered an excess of unnecessary gatekeepers. They have their reasons (I have no financial history in Japan, I lack a business track record, I’m a homebuilding amateur).In the end, though, the latter group has given me the perspective to foster self-reliance. Each frustration taught me to build up my competencies myself: read the Inns and Hotels Act in Japanese, read the Building Standards law in Japanese, don’t borrow money, don’t buy a property above what I can afford, learn about build science, read up on engineering and physics, and the list goes on. In the face of barriers, I’ve gained an instinct to do things from scratch.Nishimura-san is a member of that former group, but one who has gone above and beyond. His renovation company, Nishimura-gumi, has been the diamond in the rough that has allowed me to put my guard down. Nishimura-gumi (as an organization) and I (as a determined volunteer) complemented each other’s needs and goals. Most importantly, Nishimura-san gave me — a sole, wandering, but determined foreigner — a chance.I have been occupied in the past few weeks with cutting scores of bamboo, which has encroached on the buildings. I found a few maple trees growing on the forest floor, so I made sure to protect them. I also bought a kei-truck. This little car will do the heavy lifting of trash removal for me this month. Once I have a clean job site, the technical repairs may begin.This brings us to today’s podcast episode about build science and Passive House certification. As the planning and design stage approaches, I need to begin thinking about how to turn this old house into a beautiful, quality home that meets modern high-performance standards. The book Passive House Details: Solutions for High-Performance Design has been an important resource for me in this regard.The authors are accredited, certified, and practicing architects out of the Eugene, Oregon area who have collected excellent case studies of Passive House buildings across the United States. They explain what exactly is Passive House and what are the basic principles. Then, they go into great detail about materials to use, designs to consider, and much more; but they do so in a well-written and approachable manner. The book should serve as an excellent guide for anyone entering the design stage of their project.I hope that this episode can inform at least one person who is renovating a Japanese home about the passive house standard and the importance of understanding build science. Now, the big question is if I can put these principles into practice on my project.Local Japan Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Books Mentioned In This Episode:* Passive House Details: Solutions for High-Performance Design by Corner, Fillinger, & Kwok* Why Buildings Stand Up by Mario Salvadori* Why Buildings Fall Down by Matthys Levy & Mario SalvadoriLinks to More Resources:* Joseph Lstiburek on This Old House (YouTube)* Build Science 101 on YouTube* Donald Corner* Jan Fillinger* Alison Kwok* Kominka Japan Facebook Group* Joseph Lstiburek* The Building Science Corporation* Matt Risinger* The Build Show on YouTube* The Build Show Network* Steve Baczek* The Perfect Wall by Joseph Lstiburek* UK Berkeley Wurster Hall* R-value* Thermal Bridging* Hygrothermal Performance* Passive House Certification by the Passivhaus Institut This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit akiyaproject.substack.com/subscribe

I have a big announcement to make about the start of what we've all been waiting for. As a result of this announcement, I found it fitting to revisit the fundamentals and ask myself why I am doing all this. Why am I trying to restore buildings that I think are beautiful? To help me through this question, I’ll be reading through a few sections of "Beauty: A Very Short Introduction" by Sir Roger Scruton. In short, Scruton argues that beauty is a moral endeavor. It is not up to subjective taste. Instead, beauty embodies both a rational and virtuous pursuit. I first came across the book in graduate school when I learned about Scruton's involvement in the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. I've since taken a deep dive into his literature and other initiatives to support architectural preservation across the UK.In today's podcast episode, we explore the democratic principle of individual freedom and its delicate balance with the common good. We delve into how objective standards and principles, such as decorum, humility, propriety, and hierarchy, can enhance beauty. Yet, we also examine the art of skillfully breaking these rules. The episode spans topics like the transcendent, modesty, the language of classical architecture, taste, and aesthetic education.Local Japan Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Books Mentioned In This Episode:* Beauty by Sir Roger Scruton* The Beauty of Everyday Things by Soetsu YanagiLinks to More Resources:* Sir Roger Scruton* Nicholas Boys Smith* Create Streets Foundation* Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission* Platonic Virtues* Plotinus* Dante and Beatrice* Soetsu Yanagi* Sir Christopher Wren* Baldassare Longhena* “Form follows function”* Brent Hull on YouTube* Arts & Crafts Movement* Jung Chang and John Holliday* Piss Christ* Tate Modern Museum* MoMA* Duccio* Giotto* Velázquez* Cézanne* Aristotelian Virtue Ethics This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit akiyaproject.substack.com/subscribe

Born in the United States, Azby Brown is an architect and accomplished author of Japanese design and architecture who embarked on a transformative journey to Japan. He recalls his story in today’s book, The Genius of Japanese Carpentry: Secrets of an Ancient Craft.In this episode, I go through his writings about a traditional pagoda construction at Yakushiji Temple in Nara, which took place throughout the 1980s. We learn about the guidance Azby received under master carpenter Tsunekazu Nishioka during that time, as well as the ancient knowledge, wisdom, and way of life that Nishioka practiced. The book also serves as a practical guide for learning the step-by-step process of assembling temple buildings using traditional Japanese methods. I especially enjoyed the book because it offers a rare and personal window into the life of a community of Japanese carpenters. The book also evoked a sense of somber reflection in me, as it conveyed the gradual disappearance of the invaluable craftsmanship embodied by Nishioka and his team.If you’d like to dive deeper into Azby Brown’s work, have a look at some of his most popular books below:* The Very Small Home: Japanese Ideas for Living Well in Limited Space* Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan * Small Spaces: Stylish Ideas for Making More of Less in the Home * The Japanese Dream House: How Technology and Tradition Are Shaping New Home DesignLocal Japan Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Links to Resources:* Get The Genius of Japanese Carpentry by Azby Brown* Azby Brown* The Founders Podcast by David Senra* Minka Summit* Yakushiji Temple in Nara* Tsunekazu Nishioka* Watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi* The Four Auspicious Beasts: 4 Shrines of Kyoto (in Japanese)* Hōryū-ji* Japan Craft 21* Shin-Machiya Juku (Carpentry School)* Video of a Japanese Adze* Medieval England Joinery* How to Make a Joint with a Sumisashi and Sumitsubo* The Roof-Raising Ceremony This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit akiyaproject.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I revisit a story that I wrote back in 2019 when I was still an English teacher in Kyoto. Disgruntled by the ugly school buildings that defined my day-to-day work life, I wanted to get to the bottom of the question: Why do all Japanese public schools look the same?I give a little backstory and read the script, which you can also follow along in full below (To see the photos, subscribe to the Local Japan email:The click-clack of wooden sandals rings through the bamboo grove as an elder Buddhist monk leads me to the remains of a Meiji Era elementary school. The school building has been transported to this Buddhist temple from its original location three kilometers away.“We now use the old lecture hall as a place of meditation,” the monk says. He turns to me, “Not many people know of this place.”“I did some research,” I reply. “I heard that Chikkan Elementary is one of the only Meiji Era schools that still stands in Kyoto today.”The clay-tiled roof and the wood craftsmanship come into view. Chikkan Elementary’s school emblem — 竹間 — flourishes the upper ridge of the structure. When I slide my hand across the wooden gateway, I think of the many Meiji Era (1868–1912) children who once walked beneath it.As an English teacher who has been working in Kyoto for three years, I see students throughout the city commute to gray, modern buildings and study in concrete classrooms. During the course of my time in Kyoto, I have also visited the 959-year-old Ujigami Shrine and I have enjoyed the ancient music of Gion Festival. “Where — in this land of such deep history — did the schools of Kyoto go?” I think to myself.“Chikkan Elementary was almost destroyed, but the monks had the building transferred here in 1929,” says the old man.This temple in Kyoto, known as Shinnyo-do, is a private entity that managed to purchase and preserve such priceless works of historic architecture. Classic Japanese-tiled lecture halls and wooden entry gates once defined Japan’s schools. Nearly all of this workmanship has since disappeared, at the hands of a nationwide wave of demolishment during the Showa period (1926–1989).“It’s beautiful,” I say to the monk as I snap a photo from my camera.So many in our modern world thirst for beauty as they live in the concrete jungles. The Japanese also feel this dearth, but they have also been able to rely on their repositories of ancestral culture for an answer: Wandering the quiet stone pathways, I observe a young monk tediously rake the Zen rock garden. An elderly woman wearing garden boots cleans the fields of moss, picking up one maple leaf at a time. As I have experienced time and again, Japanese cities give me the opportunity to escape from their noise and rush — if only I look close enough.The schools of today, however, have blended in with the hubbub of urban life. They have shed away their clay roof tiles and wooden gateways. In the call by the centralized government of the early 1900s to prepare its people for militarization and factory work, elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools in every ward of every city of every prefecture of Japan took on uniform shape.Four-story gray cement blocks, exposing their off-white piping and random ventilation ducts protruding off the walls, shine their fluorescent lighting through rows of plastic windows. A single clock raised above the schoolyard ticks away with a watchful eye.To learn more about why these buildings today look the way they do, I take a visit to the Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History. The museum is housed in a modern school building, but its entrance flaunts an antique gateway. Framed by two smooth pillars, this wooden structure is holding onto the way things once were.“School designs are made by a government agency,” a curator at the museum explains to me. “All plans are based on a general model.”“When did this transition take place?” I ask.“Japan started building these modern-style schools around the time of World War One,” he replies. “Government centralization became so prevalent everywhere by 1941 that every elementary school in Japan became public.”I immediately thought of the very elementary school that I teach at, which celebrated its centennial birthday in 2018. It was built in 1918 — just as the Empire of Japan was stepping onto the world stage.“In fact, the government became so desperate by 1943 that they even took bronze statues from the schools and melted them to collect metal for the war effort,” the curator adds.The museum displays a rare bronze statue of Masashige Kusunoki, a famous 14th-century samurai, charging to battle on his horse. It is one of the few that survive.The tragic melting of statues on behalf of the war machine seems a fitting image to describe the demolition of historic architecture for the sake of economic output. Like in the United States, Japanese school clocks ring in 50-minute intervals. Neat rows of chairs face blackboards in the name of “practicality” so that students retain in their heads the fact that a²+b²=c² and in 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue.Passing below the wooden gateway, I exit the museum and make my way back onto the city streets. Returning to my apartment, I decide to head to my roof to catch a view of Kyoto’s cityscape. As I clutch the roof railing, I gaze forward to the high-rise next door. Through windows, I see office workers penning paper, typing on keyboards, and generating vitamin D from computer screens.My eyes move up the walls to the roof. There stands a small, wooden Shinto shrine. Throughout the year, it bakes in the summer heat, tastes the autumn rain, freezes in the winter chill, and smells the spring breeze. A salaryman has made his way to the roof for a smoke break and some sunlight. He takes one last drag and puts the cigarette out. His necktie swaying with the wind, he claps his hands and gives a bow before the shrine.In the dense cities of our modern world, beauty hangs on quietly in the small things.Links to Resources:* Udon Making Experience* Mythographers* Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History* Shinnyo-do - The True Temple of the Autumn ParadisePlease subscribe to the Local Japan Substack as a free or paid member starting at just $5 a month! Your contributions help me with production costs and the time required to record and edit podcasts and organize interviews. For this, I thank you always.Local Japan Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 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