A visit to Obuse: chestnuts and handicrafts in the mountains of Nagano prefecture
Perhaps the new generation will grasp this fundamental truth and put it into action. Indeed, using humble materials to create sophisticated works of art is one of the defining characteristics of the Japanese artistic tradition. Thatch used to be considered the embodiment of elegance. Some of these urbanites, less in thrall to 20th century materials like concrete, steel and glass, and more appreciative of the beauty of traditional materials like timer, thatch and clay, are choosing to keep traditional crafts like thatching alive. The coronavirus pandemic has given fresh impetus to the phenomenon of the 'U-turn', though to what extent it will revitalise rural communities it's not yet possible to say. Every year, a steady trickle of incomers from the cities opt to turn their backs on city life and move to the countryside. In the future, the number of farmers is set to fall even further, and even more farmland will be abandoned. Every year, more young people from country towns and villages leave for the cities in search of work, and the average age of a farmer rises. These days, thatching a roof costs so much - and thatchers are so rare - that homeowners with thatched roofs often choose to simply cover them with corrugated iron or even plastic sheets rather than pay to have them rethatched.Ī traditional outdoor kitchen with a thatched roof at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum 江戸東京たてもの園 Photo: George Lloyd Conversely, as thatch fell out of favor, it became more and more expensive. The more popular these materials became, the cheaper they became. Materials were plentiful, as was work for thatchers, so it was not expensive to thatch a roof.īut since WW2, rural homeowners have opted to use modern roofing materials, like tiles, concrete or plastic. It was stored in communal sheds, and everyone pitched in to help when a thatched roof needed to be replaced.
Traditionally, every country village had a thatch field and thatch was harvested as a regular part of the farming calendar. The history of thatch in Japan goes all the way back to the Jomon era (c. Left behind are empty shells: shadowy outlines, hovering above the rooftops like ghosts.An example of thatching on a Jōmon-era dwelling recreated in the grounds of Hachiman-gū shrine 八幡宮, Yoyogi, Tokyo Photo: George Lloyd As the wheat decays, the straw body collapses and is blown to pieces by the wind. Traditionally straw finials were made of tightly twisted wheat now, like the peacock in front of me, they are usually encased in protective wire netting. Up on the roof, it’s time to remove the remains of the peacock. The descendants of these old talismans are now proudly mounted on some of the most exclusive country properties. These were used to identify the owner and deter foraging birds – and at one time were also intended to ward off evil spirits and witches. West Country thatchers have been making straw figures for centuries, a tradition that can be traced back to the dollies placed on hayricks.
As well as countless foxes and pheasants, I’ve come across the wheel of a ship, a trio of pigs, and a straw snake, winding over the top of a ridge. For others, the figures are the crowning glory of a roof – and a chance to show off a thatcher’s skill and imagination.
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