In the U.S. Craftsman bungalows, long prized for their complex yet elegant detailing and spatial warmth, are no longer valued as a worthy real estate investment. Fewer people want to live in one, let alone own one. Abandoned, they fall into disrepair. Despite the structures’ stunning examples of fine craftsmanship, owners regularly tear them down to make way for new construction, or to make the property more appealing to potential buyers. In Japan, there is a similar trend happening, but the house style being lost is the traditional kominka.

What is Kominka?

In English, the word kominka translates as “old” (ko) “people’s/folk house” (minka). Typically located in rural areas, the timber-framed structures were built as single-family dwellings, often housing multiple generations under one roof. Every year, thousands of these traditional Japanese homes are torn down.

A survey by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications found that between 2008 and 2013, the number of kominka decreased by 13%. Experts at the Japan Kominka Association have estimated that there are perhaps only 1,250,000 remaining. Luckily, there are groups of people in Japan—and now the U.S.—that recognize the cultural and historical importance of the kominka and are trying to salvage and repurpose as many of these structures and their components as possible.

Their combined efforts have led to the reclamation of many kominka timber frames, one of which has gained new life as a traditionally styled tea- and guesthouse in northeastern Oregon. The house was salvaged, cataloged, shipped, and rebuilt by members of the Kominka Collective, whose mission is doing just that.