Another wold-abeke TOMI

I have been renovating Abeke for ten years. While inefficiently engaged in this endless job, I often wondered whether it was all worth the effort. Was there real value in what we did? Was the result beautiful? Was there any reason to live in such a place? I came to the conclusion that the purpose of the renovation should be to make Abeke a place where life itself can be renewed – I was not merely trying to rebuild an old minka.

So far, since I have been a clumsy administrator with insufficient funds, it has been natural to question my motivations and doubt what has been accomplished. Many times over these past years I have been discouraged when considering the work at Abeke – there were no workers, no money, and the budget did not make sense. But I finally realized that the problem was not the lack of people or funds; it was me. I did not see the meaning of what I was doing. I had no aim.

When depressed, I think of the words that someone told me by the eighth-century Buddhist monk Dengyō Daishi (Saichō): there is no moral sense (道心) in one’s livelihood, but there is livelihood in moral sense. I understand this to mean that you can always make a living if you follow your heart, but you will lose your way by succumbing to popular notions of how to gain a living.

The efficiency and convenience of modern architecture are not features found in old houses. However, old houses do offer important qualities that are lost in the pursuit of comfort. I wish to point these considerations out in my message from Abeke about ‘restoration and renewal’ (復古創新). A wonderful life can be enjoyed through daily contact with elements of traditional Japanese culture.

Therefore, I hope to help write a new page in history by sharing this place with likeminded people who understand my goals, and not merely preserve a house that happens to be a designated cultural property.

Homeowner of Abeke

Matsuba Tomi