<Ise Guesthouse Kazami will be temporarily CLOSED for renovation>
Kazami guest house has been open since December 2011 and I’ve thought that we have to maintain it by renovating it so we are TEMPORARILY CLOSING IT on SEPTEMBER 30TH. We are going to OPEN AGAIN as New Kazami on JULY 1ST 2018.
This renovation was considered for a couple of years now. The budget for renovation will be 50 million yen. We have several reasons for deciding to renovate our building; 1.
Earthquake resistant guest house The good points of our current guesthouse is that it has a nice atmosphere, it is cozy, it has a nice theme and is well-decorated and most of all, people can easily interact with the other guests there.
" However, I think that guesthouse = hotel. I believe that SAFETY, SECURITY, and CLEANLINESS are three most important things needed to run a hotel.
People really praise Kazami but I’m still not satisfied yet. Because Kazami is running for 80 years now, I can say that it’s already past its estimated service life.
The water pipes are corroding and the building is deteriorating already. I've made some minor repairs but there's a limit to what I can do. The most important reason for renovating Kazami is so that it can withstand a strong earthquake if an earthquake would hit Japan one of these days. I would often ask myself, "Are my guests really safe inside Kazami if a major earthquake hits Japan now?”
I would say “No”.
As you know,earthquakes are frequent in Japan.Japanese people have been expecting and preparing for the disaster with improved technics and technology.
That is why the Japanese house is now like that shape. Do we really have to spend 50 million yen for renovation?
I would say yes, so, I decided renovation. 2, The foundation of the building The foundation of the building has become weak and obsolete because my friends and I renovated Kazami by ourselves .People praise Kazami even though we did it ourselves.
People would compliment Kazami tell us that they like our taste.We feel happy when we hear those compliment because we are just amateurs in the carpentry field. I sold a lot of things just to be able to buy construction materials for Kazami such as thousands records, hundreds CDs, clothes and instrument etc…
.I almost sold everything what I had.
After all the sacrifices for the construction, we were finally able to open Kazami but only using low-end wood.
Now that we are renovating it, we are going to replace it using high-quality wood already.
Some parts of the floor are already brittle so we also need to change it. Repairing Kazami will be difficult that's why we decided that renovating the whole building is a better choice.
The interiors will also be changed with a new and refreshed theme. 3.Capacity of the guesthouse The truth is, I solely responsible of the whole property.I would sometimes ask help from volunteers to help me to run Kazami because I can't employ a lot of staff.
I really appreciate the help that the volunteers are giving me but I know this is not a permanent situation.
They can't always help and in the same way, I can't manage everything by myself as well.
So, I’ve been asking myself "What should I do Should I quit using beds and rooms?”
But I would answer my own self, “No.”
I wouldn't refuse guests who walks in to Kazami without reservations. This is when I thought of making Kazami smaller so I could improve serving my guests and to make it easier for me to manage the area as well.The newly renovated Kazami will be smaller than the previous one and it will only have two floors.The capacity of guests will also be reduced. 4, The new cozy guesthouse Nowadays, guesthouses are becoming very popular and Japanese people are getting used to it too.I'd like to offer guests better atmosphere by providing them a relaxing and comfortable place to stay at. such as, organic tea or coffee, additive-free shampoo and soap,Airy of the building, secure enhancement…etc. Japanese people say that Ise city is a Japanese spiritual place
. I’d like to share its culture to people who visit this place and to experience its rich nature and atmosphere. And I hope that when they feel and experience that, they would share their experience to other people and tell them and promote to them how peaceful the place is. 5.
The efficiency of electricity and cleaning Kazami is four-story building. And it is inconvenient to move around and move back and forth the four floors.
It is big for us. so I thought of having it renovated to a smaller one. New Kazami Take a look pictures New Kazami model (picture 1) The new Kazami shape is going to be a dodecagon.
When I am hesitant of something I always follow the information from nature, animals or historical people who I respect. Because I believe that nature always tell the truth and ancestors tell important things from their experiences.
Nowadays, most of the people live in a square house while, ancestors have live in a round shape house.People are more accustomed on having a polygonal house that is a longer history.
Gel Mongolian house and Tip American house have a better structure.Unlike other creatures such as birds/animals, humans are the only one who made square shape houses. (I heard that the best shape for the structure of houses is oval like an egg.) Because its more functional, structural, has better ventilation and considered as an earthquake resistant building.I've visited over hundred geusthouses all over Japan and researched a lot of things.
Then, I've finally understood the idea of the structure of a new Kazami. I believe that dondegone shape is the best for Kazami.
1st floor (picture 2) The free space is at the right side.
We will serve several kinds of drinks and light meals which are organic as much as possible. There is also private rooms on 1st floor.
Go through a courtyard to your room.( I’ll plant a big tree in the courtyard it makes you feel more relaxing) This structure is better security that making you feel more safe. 2nd floor(picture 3) Go up a spiral stair to 2nd floor. The dorms on 2nd floor The female dorm is at the right side, The male dorm is at the left side.
The two dorms are divided by bed so that male occupants cannot enter the female dorm accidentally.
I am going to use a more secured key at the entrance of the dorm for a better security.
There is also an open space at the right side; it’s sometimes converted to an extra room during busy seasons.
So, the new Kazami will have three free spaces on the 1st floor, 2nd floor and a courtyard.
I hope they will make you feel more comfortable here. These are the reasons why I decided to renovate Kazami. We are not going to renovate Kazami by ourselves this time.
We asked Ikeyama-san who is a professional carpenter from Ichimine Construction Company --- the one that I trust the most, to do it for us. Moreover, I wish I could share my thoughts on Japanese culture, the importance of Kazami and running it with the next generation. With this, I really need Ikeyama-san to make it.
---------------------------- I am inviting all of you to come and visit Kazami. I wish that you could tell Kazami to other people who visits Japan.
The funds that we are going to raise will be use to renovate the facilities of the guest house. The reason for our renovation are not only for our guests but for the people of Ise city as well. However, the main reason why I built Kazami is to provide for my family. I feel that it doesn't right to receive financial support for free from the people. I hope that you could come to visit Kazami guest house.
I would be glad to welcome and have you at our guest house with the people close to your heart. It's a huge help for us to be closer to our goal for Kazami. Last but not the least, I would like to express my utmost appreciation for each of you who helped to build Kazami.
Though we won't be able to because of the quantity of your help, but I would love to give tokens for everyone. So I apologize for this matter. Thank you very much for all of your support. Hiromichi
