A Meeting of Strangers

Today I traveled to Yamaguchi - an area of Japan I have not explored before, but caught my eye when I was researching the Akiyoshidai International Artists Village. This residency, like most, invites artists from across the globe to spend time in the unique and beautiful landscape specific to the Yamaguchi area.

I am hosted and entertained by two wonderful women who are both interesting and interested in everything. Taking me around today, I not only experienced the beautiful meeting of the mountains and the sea, but also the exquisite houses that these ladies live in. They both have renovated and reinvigorated traditional houses into architectural masterpieces.

Seiko-san’s house is like a family home. It's large and welcoming, high wooden beams from the original design give the house a solid and comfortable feel, matching the iron stove and wooden floorboards. It retains Japanese features - shoji, tatami rooms, a large entrance of stone and wood. It is the sort of house you expect people to gather and linger, naturally drawn to the friendly and inviting atmosphere - though perhaps it is Seiko-san’s hospitable nature that encourages this.

Masako-san’s house is all about the design. Sleek, elegant, and beautifully considered, the design heroes simplicity - there is nothing in the space that is not meant to be there. My initial thought was that the house reflected an unexpected but wonderful marriage of Japanese and Scandinavian design. The clean lines that the structure provide highlight exquisite single pieces of artwork, and traditional Japanese features. There is no clutter in this space, it is immaculate, almost curated, and the atmosphere is balanced and zen.

In the evening, I was treated to a relaxing and rejuvenating onsen in the mountains. It is difficult to mimic this experience back home, and there is something incredibly nostalgic about it. I find it difficult to understand those who don’t enjoy baths - who find them tiresome or unhygienic. For me, nothing quite compares to the satisfying and invigorating feeling you get when you are outside, in steaming hot water, with cool air on your face, the smell of cedar, and a picturesque view of the mountain side.