This lecture (in English) will be held Thursday March 9 at 7:00 at Lakeland University in Ryogoku, Tokyo. It will also be streamed via Zoom.

"Resurgent Interest in Traditional Japanese Vernacular Architecture: Field Notes from the Kominka Boom", presented by Paul Fradalé

The last decade has seen increasing interest in rescuing traditional farmhouses, shops, and city dwellings, both among young Japanese and foreigners in Japan and around the world. A number of articles in mainstream media outlets and the ubiquity of social media channels has fueled this boom, often with tales of grand homes available for next to no money, which spoke to a wide audience of eager listeners keen to leave urban centres during the height of the recent pandemic. This lecture will provide an introduction to the types of buildings that fall within the umbrella term "kominka" and provide firsthand information for those wishing to locate, purchase, and renovate their own.

 

Paul Fradalé is a long-term resident of Japan; he has lived in Kanazawa, Fukuoka, and in the Kanto area. He and his wife bought a dilapidated farmhouse built in 1890 seven years ago and have been renovating it since.

-To attend the event in person, there is no need to register. For a map and directions to Lakeland's Ryogoku campus, see our website: https://luj.lakeland.edu/contact

**Our in-person guests are asked to follow the usual masking and social-distancing health protocols

--To join on Zoom, please register here (before 5PM on the day of the event). You will be emailed a link that afternoon

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1L1JkKky3CVXU6q_IS0i4qoWsgR0MhvcVNGC4QI78abo/edit

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Roger Grabowski, Jr.
Assistant Professor of General Studies
Lakeland University Japan