Breakfast is a highlight at Kidera. Brought
in by smiling staf in a large aluminium
carrier, it’s the epitome of a traditional
Japanese morning meal. There’s brown rice
with black sesame, miso soup with two kinds
of tofu, a local speciality of simmered daiwa
mana greens and deep-fried tofu, asparagus
dressed in a sweet sesame sauce, perfectly
grilled mackerel, pickled plum and seasoned
kombu seaweed, all served in carefully
selected local ceramic dishes.
While running the inn, Shunpei and
his father continue to renovate traditional
homes in Nara and have completed about
20 small and large projects in town to date.
After breakfast, I head out to explore
Takabatake, the predominantly residential
neighbourhood south of the Kasuga Grand
Shrine. I start at the well-kept former
residence of novelist Naoya Shiga. The house
is a mix of traditional Japanese tatami
rooms and some clearly Western-inluenced
additions, such as the bright Sun Room,
an expansive space at the back of the house
with heavy tiles underfoot and a large glazed
opening in the ceiling that lets in plenty of
natural light. This is where Shiga is said to
have held his famous Takabatake Salons,
where fellow novelists and thinkers gathered
to discuss world afairs late into the night.
The tradition is being kept alive next door
at a small café, where cofee, tea and cakes
are served alfresco underneath a towering
Himalaya Sugi cypress tree.
Beyond Shiga’s former residence, there
are also a few unique shops in the Takabatake
area, including Tomoshiki, a small store
selling simple clothes lovingly handmade
by owners Kenichi Kishimoto and Noriko
Yasuda, and Soramitsu, an arts and crafts
shop ofering made-in-Japan goods as well
as showcasing the work of local artists and
craftsmen. (Many of the shops and cafés
in the area have limited opening hours,
so check beforehand.)
The city is home to many more interesting
outlets, including Anna Hasegawa and her
husband Manpei Tsurubayashi’s Sonihouse
speaker brand. The couple have converted
the irst loor of an old sushi restaurant into
a workshop for their innovative speaker
systems, with a combined showroom and
concert space on top. In 2007, after
working in speaker design for a large audio
manufacturer for two years, Tsurubayashi
set out to explore the possibilities of
omnidirectional sound and started Sonihouse
with Hasegawa. Their 12- and 14-faceted
speakers of 12mm birch plywood are now
fêted by musicians and music lovers for their
ability to recreate natural and ambient
sounds. The showroom provides a perfect
space for experiencing this in person –
the sound seems to ill the space from all
directions and as one moves around, the
quality doesn’t change. The showroom is
also used regularly for intimate concerts,
both acoustic and electronic. There is usually
food from one of Nara’s many great cafés
and restaurants, and always an eclectic crowd
that shares Tsurubayashi and Hasegawa’s
passion for sound.
Before I leave, Tsurubayashi shows me a
beautiful lamp with a hand-blown glass shade
hanging above the staircase leading up to the
showroom. ‘Do you know Nagatomi-san from
New Light Pottery?’ he asks. I don’t, but after
a quick phone call a meeting is set up. (^) »
RYUSUKE AND
SHUNPEI FUJIOKA
Architects
This father-and-son duo
have transformed old
townhouses into five
guest houses near the
city’s historic centre.
Intent on saving Nara’s
vernacular architecture
from demolition, they
are already working
on other renovation
projects around town.
machiyado.com
Opposite, clockwise
from top left; the
Fujiokas’ Kidera-no-ie
guest houses offer a
traditional breakfast;
simple rooms with tatami
looring; private gardens;
and shoji screens
248 ∑
The Trip