A Japanese House

Ruth: We are spending three nights at Uncle’s House near the end of the Motobu peninsula. It is located on a hill just above a small fishing village, overlooking the sea. 

From the outside it resembles many modern houses in Japan: unattractive and utilitarian. However, when you step inside you enter the Zen calm of what we all imagine a Japanese home should look like. Leaving your shoes at the door and walking on the tropical hardwood floors that give way to two tatami rooms with sliding screen doors. These multi purpose rooms can be bedrooms, tea rooms, guest rooms or anything that is needed. No need to move furniture, there isn’t any. If you ignore the wonderful modern conveniences in the kitchen and bathrooms, life is not that different than living in the Edo period. 

After we settle in and explode into the space, Uncle’s House begins to more closely resemble the chaotic and cluttered Japanese homes we have encountered traveling in Japan. There are very few places to store or hide anything, so if you have more possessions than a monk, it’s going to bit of a jumble. Even folded futons and pillow get stacked up in the corner. 

Before booking this house I did make sure that it had at least a table, chairs and a couch. I can barely sleep comfortably on a Japanese futon, but make me sit on the floor to eat dinner and I’m in a world of pain. 

I always feel a bit guilty when I opt for a Western hotel, but I really prefer beds to futons. I have enjoyed our pretty house and I see it’s charm, but I won’t be converting one of our rooms at home to a Japanese tatami room any time soon. 

Clearly this is my cultural preference that is not shared by many Japanese. On the ferry to Kumejima it was the tatami rooms that were filled up, leaving lots of comfy chairs for us.