It's hard to believe, but we're already halfway through September.
It's the season for autumn outings.
Aji Minato Bansho is currently undergoing kitchen renovations, but we will reopen on September 16th.
This summer's extreme heat likely kept many of you indoors.
By late September, this heat should finally subside.
For those who couldn't take a summer vacation trip, we sincerely hope you'll visit Kagawa Prefecture with your family.
The Osaka Expo runs until October 13th. Taking the express bus from Osaka gets you to Takamatsu City in Kagawa Prefecture in no time.
The Setouchi International Art Festival starts again in October, so please do visit Kagawa Prefecture after the Expo.
Many guests at Aji Minato Bansho bring their children.
The main house, the irori (hearth) room, and the bathhouse are separate, which might feel “inconvenient,” but this was the typical layout for many old houses.
The rooms are partitioned with fusuma sliding doors so that ceremonial occasions like weddings and funerals can be held immediately, and when needed, they can accommodate large numbers of people.
From the 12-tatami mat room, you can hear birds chirping while you eat. You can also clear the table, lay out futons, and sleep in a row with your children.
In the tea room, soft light filters through the round window's shoji screen, offering a place for the family to spend quiet moments together.
Modern apartments and houses are lovely, but spending time in a building constructed roughly 90 to 160 years ago and preserved in its original state offers a feeling akin to time travel.
When I was a child, we didn't have a dedicated children's room, and there were times when my study desk was placed in the tea room. In my father's generation, it seemed the idea of children having their own rooms was considered premature, but when you reach adolescence, you naturally want some privacy. I remember my sister, two years older than me, having a fierce argument with my father, and it was only after much effort that she finally managed to get the tea room converted into a children's room.
The main tatami room at the heart of the house became a room for my grandfather when he was bedridden for a time. Everything revolved around my grandfather and father; it was a traditional family. In the inner room connected to that tatami room, a kotatsu was placed in winter. I remember sitting there with my grandmother, eating mandarin oranges and hard rice crackers that were too tough for children's teeth, occasionally complaining to her. And it was on the veranda in front of this inner room and tatami room that I took my first steps. No one believes me, but I was a late walker. Even at a year and a half, I still didn't walk. Then, one sunny day, while my father held me on the veranda and asked my grandparents, “Why won't he walk?”, I suddenly stretched out my legs, which had been tucked up until then, placed my feet on the veranda, and made a move to stand. I still remember that scene vividly. It might be a dream I had later in life, but it remains a “memory” within me.
For all these reasons, this house holds a special place in my heart.
For children growing up in apartments without engawa or in modern homes, I truly hope they can experience the gentle Japan of old. I hope they can be held by their father, mother, grandfather, or grandmother on an engawa bathed in soft sunlight.
Aji Town is famous for being the filming location of the movie “The Center of the World,” but beyond its beautiful scenery, fresh air, and just a few lovely cafes, it might not have anything particularly special. Still, I think it's a wonderful place where you can enjoy the very absence of anything special.
If you can make it here, there are also many tourist attractions like Mount Yashima, Konpira Shrine, Ritsurin Garden, and Zentsuji, famous for its sand paintings of the Kan'ei Tsūhō coins. But if you're someone who wants to get away from the crowds and spend time just with family or loved ones, I think you'll enjoy it here.
Please do come to Anji Minato Bansho this autumn.
We look forward to welcoming you.
https://alphabed.airhost.co/ja/houses/608117