In 1959 journalist John Roderick joined the Tokyo bureau of the Associated Press. There, he befriended a Japanese family, the Takishitas. After musing offhandedly that he would like to one day have his own house in Japan, the family―unbeknownst to John―set out to grant his wish. They found Roderick a 250-year-old “minka,” or hand-built farmhouse, with a thatched roof and held together entirely by wooden pegs and joinery. It was about to be washed away by flooding and was being offered for only fourteen dollars. Roderick graciously bought the house, but was privately dismayed at the prospect of living in this enormous old relic lacking heating, bathing, plumbing, and proper kitchen facilities. So the minka was dismantled and stored, where Roderick secretly hoped it would stay, as it did for three years. Roderick and a team of experienced carpenters renovated the farmhouse adding features such as floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and a modern kitchen, bath, and toilet.

John Roderick’s architectural memoir Minka tells the compelling and often poignant story of how one man fell in love with the people, culture, and ancient building traditions of Japan, and reminds us all about the importance of craftsmanship and the meaning of place and home in the process.

About the Author

John Roderick was an Associated Press foreign correspondent in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East for almost forty years. He lives part of the year in Hawaii and part of the year in his minka farmhouse in Kamakura, Japan.

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