登戸 Noborito

For many years after 1945 Noborito was thought of as a rather boring bed town and company dormitory for workers to commute to more exciting destinations such as Kawasaki and Tachikawa, and of course Shinjuku. Certainly the morning stampede between the Odakyu and Nambu lines suggests no one wants to stay long. But Noborito has some pleasant surprises, not least the Taro Okamoto Art Museum and MinKa-En folk village.

Noborito Restaurants and bars ..... ...................Minka-en....... ....... .... ..... .Taro Okamoko Art Museum

Nihon Minka-En
日本民家園
Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum and Taro Okamoto Museum of Art

Why go to Nihon Minka-En?

First of all don’t get put off by the use of ‘folk’ in the museums name. Japanese tend to use the translation 'folk' for everything pre-Showa non-imperial. Don’t expect to see folk dances and middle aged hippies hanging out with pieces of bamboo either. What Minka-En is, is a very well organized depiction of Japanese life styles, architecture, social arrangements and living conditions dating back over four hundred years.
The real reason to come to Minka-En is to understand how the Japanese perceive themselves as a people (日本人論 Nihonjinron - Japanese idea of self). Not only is Minka-En set in beautiful scenery but it serves as one of many similar education centers for young Japanese around the country. Throughout the year elementary school children come to Mikaen to see how their forefathers lived, the distinctiveness of their lifestyle and (given the few materials available) the inventiveness of those early people. Perhaps it’s not so vital for Minkaen to give an accurate picture of rural conditions pre-Showa as it is in appreciating how the Japanese see themselves as one homogenous people.
In many senses Minka-En is the surprising story of Japanese common people before the middle Meiji period when urban centers gained the significance they do today. It is also an insight into a former Japanese lifestyle that, given today’s cramped apartments and lack of personal space, seems unbelievably relaxed and easy, almost idyllic. Many of the exhibits will be unexpected and provide a deeper picture of Japanese life, family relations and perhaps shed light on a few idiosyncrasies of Japanese personal interaction, After all, how loud can you raise your voice in houses with no ceilings?

How to get to Minkaen.

From Shinjuku take the Odakyu express to Noborito (Y240) and change to a local train for the next station, Mukogaokayuen. Alternatively from inside the Yamanote ring take the Chiyoda Line to YoyogiUehara and change to the Odakyu or Tama express for Noborito/Mukogaokayuen. From Kawasaki take the Nambu line until Noborito and change to the Odakyu line to Mukogaokayuen.
There used to be a rather ugly and noisy mono rail suspended overhead outside the Mukogaokayuen station ferrying passengers from the Odakyu station up to Minka-En. The monorail was seen as giving the Noborito/Mukogoakayuen area a modern and sophisticated touch even though its construction, like many 1970/80’s projects, was never based on sound economics, more a case of national pride and/or delusional racial supremacy during the bubble madness. It remains unclear if anyone took responsibility for the resulting financial catastrophe or the immense public cost of disassembling the track and demolishing the huge concrete pillars that ran down the center of Mukogaokayuen. The economical insanity of the monorail project has now been landscaped over, a dim memory many locals wish not to talk about.
From Mukogakuen station the park’s entrance is about twelve minutes walk. Outside the station pass the Chuwa building on the right (with the big bowling pin on top) and head for the mountain in front of you. Daiei supermarket and department store will appear on the left and then the road hit a large intersection at Inoabashi bridge. Cross Fuchu Kaido and follow the signs to Minka-En park.

 

When to go.
The park is open year round except Mondays unless that Monday is a public holiday. Obviously public holidays are more crowded than other days but the size of Minka-En means that this isn’t so much of a problem. The houses tend to change character slightly in different seasons and look like a fairy tale when snow covered. There is a special beauty when it rains and Minkaen is one of the few places you can recommend during those showery Tokyo days. Some of the houses serve tea and snacks to stay warm in the winter months.

What to see.

You have the choice of entering Minka-En from either the main gate or the ‘rear entrance’. In many ways it is actually better to start at the ‘rear gate’ which is situated up by the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art because it leads you down to Museum House at the main gate. It is easier to understand many of the main exhibits in the small modern museum after walking the park. For this article, we’ll walk the advised route from the main gate to the rear, and out onto the Taro Okamoto Museums Café for lunch.

Entrance to the Museum cost Y500 although its free if you're over sixty five. The Museum house which contains many excellent exhibits and explanations of rural life is on the left. We’ll leave this for you to explore for yourselves.
Walking up the slope you come to Hara house. This Meiji Period (1868 – 1912) house was originally located not far away in Musashi-kosugi on the Nambu line. Inside the house there are various displays and a center for looms and weaving. You’ll notice that the house is well constructed using broad cut timbers for the walls and floor. The constructions techniques and carpentry are similar to earlier buildings but you’ll notice the refinement of materials. This is due largely to the importation of machinery from the west. Before the use of looped band-saws it was difficult and expensive to repeatedly cut wood in the same fashion and this gives the house a uniformity and refinement we normally associate with more modern bindings.
In many ways the Hara house is the least representative of Japanese life in Minka-En. There remain many similar examples of this type of house in the Kanto region and once inside it is easy to understand how liveable these houses are compared with Japanese apartments and mansions constructed from concrete since the early nineteen hundreds.

Next along the slope is the Suzuki house which was built around the turn of the century as an Umayado (hostel for horse traders) in a Fukushima post town. The Umayado was used by traders while traveling to auctions. One half of the house is compressed dirt floor and the other reserved for the traders. The guest rooms at the rear were most likely reserved for wealthy traders.

On the left is Ioka house built as a Nara merchant’s house in the 17th century. The house was owned by many generations of the same family who set up as lamp oil retailers and it later became an incense shop. The tiled roof, plaster walls, lattice work to the left of the raised main door and the folding veranda are typical of a merchant’s house built in this period. Resting in the Ioko house you get a feeling both of the scale of economic activity and general pace of life prevalent in Japan before the Meiji period. Japanese customs, particularly highly ritualized and sometimes drawn out introductions and announcements fit easily into this less complicated environment.

Moving on you pass through the Saji gate, an excellent example of an outer gate of a samurai’s residence. This type of functional-defensive construction was restricted to the Samarai class who ruled over the common people in the feudal period and symbolic of authority. The small building attached to the gate was utilized as a waiting place for servants or retainers of the visitor. entering and leaving the gate was often ritualized.
 
Inside the gate is Misawa house. Originally built is Nagano Prefecture as the residence of Kumigashira (assistant to the village chief) it was occupied by the same family for many generations who also ran a traditional pharmacy from the front. From the outside the roof is obviously the most striking feature, being layered shingles held down by flat stones. There is little iron work in the construction which relies of sophisticated carpentry to hold it together. The shingles were not the perfect solution to the Nagano climate as it was apt to warp and needed to be turned every few years. The kitchen adjoins the animal stables and food preparation area, having a compact earthen floor. Although Misawa house is darker inside than later houses such as the Hara house it’s noticeable how well the combination of earthen floor, clay wall, rough cut timber and tatami fit together to create an easy living space. As is usually the case with early Japanese architecture, the rooms/house has no ceiling. The customs of having different shoes for different parts of the house, and of keeping ones voice low make perfect sense in this building.

The water mill at the top of the ridge was built around the middle of the nineteenth century and is one of the few examples left in Japan. The wheel, two mortars and two wooden pestles are still to be seen in operation. There’s also an interesting explanation of the various types of water wheel designs developed in Japan.

Descending into the next valley the Sasaki house is noteworthy for its beauty and charm. The dwelling was built in the summer of 1731 for a village chief in Nagano prefecture and it’s believed the two rear guest rooms and lavatory were added in 1746. This significant house with thatched roof is almost three hundred years old and remains in good conditions. The pitch of the roof is relatively light since the chieftains valley received relatively little snow fall and so in turn the supports were also lighter, leaving the interior airy and pleasantly open.

The Emuki house immediately stands out with its steeply pitched roof (Gassho Zukuri style) and elaborate thatching. The house was built sometime during the late seventeenth century in Toyama Prefecture in a district famous for the Heike samurai clan who took refuge in Tomaya at this time. The house, built almost entirely without iron fastenings of any kind had to withstand heavy snow fall over a long winter.

The Yamada house is another Gassho Zukuri style house from the mountainous region of Toyama prefecture. The house was built in Katsura village which was inundated last century with the construction of a hydro-electric dam. Yamada house is all that remains of village life. The dwelling is noticeable for its high ceilings and space under the ground floor which was used to make black powder as a tax payment to the local feudal lord.

Inside the Nohara house, another excellent example of Gassho Zukuri from the mountainous regions of Toyama Prefecture, are two Irori (sunken hearths) in the Hiroma, a rough cut wooden floored room that served both as living room and kitchen. The
Hidana, (frame suspended over the hearth) served to dry and preserve things. The use of mountain trees with bent and twisted trunks was both economical and thought to add beauty to the house. The ante-chamber for the Buddhist altar is characteristic of Toyama region. Note the almost total lack of iron fastening and the ingenuity required to secure major beams and support using only green vine and rope made from rice straw.

Yamashita house was built fairly recently in the 19th century in Shirakawa village, Gifu Prefecture. Despite Japan’s modernization in the Meiji period life carried on much the same for most people outside the large urban areas. Interestingly this house was moved to Kawasaki City and was used as a traditional Japanese restaurant for a while before finally being relocated at MINKA-EN. Inside there are many exhibits and the attic was used to raise silkworms and as a storage area for food and firewood. There a traditional restaurant on the ground floor which is good for light snacks and tea.

Through a small concrete tunnel you come to Sakuta house built around the late 17th century in a fishing village in Chiba Prefecure. It originally belonged to the chief fisherman and built in the BETUMUNE ZUKURI style, with separate ridges for the main part of the house and the dirt floored section. Where the eaves of the two roofs meet is an eaves gutter made of a log. Note how the beams above the living room are skillfully assembled from crooked and twisted lumber often washed up by the ocean. This was a major source of both construction timber and fire wood.

On a bend in the path is a Takakura, a warehouse built on stilts which was located on an island in the Amami Archipelago in Kagoshima Prefecture. The high stilts kept grain stored in the loft dry and safe from rats. This Takakura was built in the late 19th century.

At the top of the path is Hirose house. This gable roof house was built around in the late 17th century in Enzan City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It conveys a closed－in and primitive
feeling due to the fact that the living room has an earthen floor with only two pillars, called Tori Bashira, supporting the roof. There are very few parts of the house that open to the outside to admit light but this construction helps insulate the house in winter.

Conversely the next house is open and airy. Ota house is built in the Betumuna Zukuri (two sectioned）style house was built around the late 17th century in Kasama City Ibaraki Prefecture. It consists of the main quarters and the earthen floored kitchen, which was constructed 100 years later. This style of house was commonly seen in the warmer areas on the Pacific Ocean side of Japan. On weekends and public holidays the area around Ota house is used as a market place and craft demonstration venue.

Kitamura house is representative of a wealthy farmer's house built in Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1687. The main characteristic of this house is a raised bamboo floor in the living room. This design provided better ventilation in summer and an easier solution to cleaning the floor. Bamboo also wears extremely well. Notice that the cooking facilities vent directly into the house (which was common) and help keep the bugs out.

Kiyomiya house is a closed－in style of farmer's house was built around the late 17th century in Noborito, Kawasaki city, Kanagawa Prefecture. The house has only three parts that open to the outside to admit light. The floored and un-floored portions of the house are divided by latticed windows. There are characteristic of Japanese farm houses of the early Edo period（1603～1867）in Kanto and give a fair representation of living conditions at that time. The house would have most likely been constructed by an extended family with help from neighbors to hoist major sections.

Ito house was built around the early 18th century for the headman（Nanushi）of a village located in the northwestern part of Kawasaki City.. The Koshimado, or latticed windows that are located in the front center of the house, were called Shishi mado or Shishi yoke. These specially designed windows would have kept wolves and wild boars from entering the house. Kawasaki being a precarious place.

Kokagesan Shrine is dedicated to a god worshiped by silkworm raisers. This shrine was built during the 1860's in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Inside the shrine there is a small palace that has relief carvings of the Kokagesan and the god's story on its sides.

Iwasawa house is another example of a commoner's house, built around the late 17th century, it was originally located in Kiyokawa Village in the Tanzawa Mountains. It consists of three floored rooms and one un-floored room. This is a very typical floor plan of the old houses of this period in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Climbing beyond Iwasawa house is the Kabuki stage. It was built in 1857 in a fishing village on the Shima Peninsula in Mie Prefecture. The play house used to perform acts managed by the young people's group of the village, allowing grudges and complaints to be aired through the medium of theater. Under the house is where performers changed before going on stage while above was mostly reserved for stage props.

Climbing to the back of the stage seating there is a small track to the traditional Japanese Indigo dyeing facility which carries out workshops on a regular basis. During summer local volunteers welcome visitors and demonstrate dyeing techniques. The dye itself is kept in tanks in the ground, and the drying is done outside on racks. Some may find the smell of indigo unpleasant.

 

Returning down the slope you come to a small hut-like construction, the Sendo-Goya (fisherman’s hut) built in 1929 along the Tama river not far from Noborito. It is a reminder that not so long along crossing the river was done by small boats and could be precarious in winter or during spring floods.

Next is the Kudo house built in the Magaria, or “ L ” shaped style, constructed around the middle of the 18th century in the Shiwa district of Iwate Prefecture. The majority of houses built in Tohoku Region were of this style. The main part of the house was used for living quarters, and the rest was used as a horse stable. On weekends and holidays local volunteers keep the kitchen hearth going and are happy to answer questions.

Before leaving Mika-En you come to the Sugawara house built around the late 18th century and originally belonging to a farmer in the mountain village of Asahi, Yamagata Prefecture. The roof is built in the Yosemune Zukuri（hipped roof）style . The roof windows are the Happo（a kind of dormer）style and the front window was also used as a doorway in the periods of very heavy snowfall, common to that region. The thatched roof is without doubt very beautiful and charming.

 

Passing out of the Minka-En park the rear track leads down to the entrance road for the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art and, more importantly the Taro Okamoto café. There is a system at the café where if the outside terrace tables are full you can put your name down in the book (on the pedestal) and sit and wait. It is worth hanging out for a terrace seat since inside is a little sterile. The menu has plenty to offer, Australian ‘Beef curry omelette-rice’ for Y1020 being a sure choice. The service is unfortunately a little slow but this is not a setting to get the stop watch out. The coffee at Taro café is excellent.

After lunch it’s time to ァとーゥぱ (art-up) at Taro Okamoto’s museum. Taro lived in and apparently loved the Kawasaki area and the museum promises to introduce “Okamoto’s paintings together with his drafts, drawings, photographs, and movies, the process Okamoto took to complete his paintings under his self-tailored theme of “confirming the traces of life in oneself ”.
Don’t be concerned if the museum presents itself as a little pretentious, that is, after all the primary role of the art museum. Taro Okamoto’s paintings are actually very inspiring and worth viewing first hand. His style is noted for his almost exclusive use of primary colors and strong, energetic brush strokes. The flawless shapes give an impression that his paintings were created through improvisation, yet in reality his works were almost always completed through the orthodox method of transferring a preconceived image onto the canvas via drawings in pencil or ink on paper and drafts in oil on the smaller size of canvas.

The museum has a large temporary exhibition space that displays both established and experimental art. The Taro Okamoto art award is aimed at “cultivation of new ideas and talents whilst contributing to the growth of new cultures. At the outset of the 21st century, a structural revolution is longed for in all fields from society, economics, and politics to culture and the arts. We strongly invite you to participate, and hope to see many self-expressive artworks, which have the power to change fixed techniques, ideas, values and world outlooks. Check out http://www.taromuseum.jp/english/index_english.htm for exhibition information.

Review coming.

Antique and Junk (Japanese Izekaya).

What may look like a junk shop with a few golden antiques doubles as a small bar inside towards the back (no cover charge). The owner is welcoming and it has an interesting regular clientele who drop in to exchange gossip over a beer and a snack. One big table. Special atmosphere amongst the curios.

The Curry House  (Indian).

Award winning Curry shop that serves more Japanese curry dressed up as Indian. However, this is some of the best Japanese curry you might find in Tokyo. The vegetarian curries (Kemah and Dahl) are genuinely vegetarian. Try the huge combo for ¥750. Counter type seating only.

Stargic Room (Bar – Live music).

Live music in Noborito, albeit irregular and of various quality. All ‘Live house’ in Tokyo seem to be designed along the same aesthetic (after all what can you do with a concrete basement) and Stargic is no different.  It’s best to check before going as prices vary.

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