Minka: My Farmhouse in Japan [Hardcover]

John Roderick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2007

In 1959 journalist John Roderick joined the Tokyo bureau of the Associated Press. There, he befriended a Japanese family, the Takishitas. After musing offhandedly that he would like to one day have his own house in Japan, the familyunbeknownst to Johnset out to grant his wish. They found Roderick a 250-year-old minka, or hand-built farmhouse, with a thatched roof and held together entirely by wooden pegs and joinery. It was about to be washed away by flooding and was being offered for only fourteen dollars. Roderick graciously bought the house, but was privately dismayed at the prospect of living in this enormous old relic lacking heating, bathing, plumbing, and proper kitchenfacilities. So the minka was dismantled and stored, where Roderick secretly hoped it would stay, as it did for several years.

But Roderick's reverence for natural materials and his appreciation of traditional Japanese and Shinto craftsmanship eventually got the better of him. Before long a team of experienced carpenters were hoisting massive beams, laying wide wooden floors, and attaching the split-bamboo ceiling. In just forty days they rebuilt the house on a hill overlooking Kamakura, the ancient capital of Japan. Working together, they renovated the farmhouse, adding features such as floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and a modern kitchen, bath, and toilet. From these humble beginnings, Roderick's minkahas become internationally known and has hosted such luminaries as President George H. W. Bush, and Senator Hillary Clinton. John Roderick's architectural memoir Minka tells the compelling and often poignant story of how one man fell in love with the people, culture, and ancient building traditions of Japan, and reminds us all about the importance of craftsmanship and the meaning of place and home in the process.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fifty years ago, journalist John Roderick bought a small farmhouse in Japan for $14, then had the whole thing dismantled and put into storage. Minka tells the story of that house's reassembly, its visit by a U.S. president, and Roderick's often-amusing struggles to bridge the cultural divide. -- Dwell, April 2008

The book, published in Roderick's 10th decade of life, is also a testament to the possible joys of longevity. It celebrates a life well lived and is an accomplishment that serves as an inspiration for anyone entering advanced age with fear there may be no more of a life's story worth telling. -- Associated Press, February 1, 2008

About the Author

John Roderick was an Associated Press foreign correspondent in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East for almost forty years. He lives part of the year in Hawaii and part of the year in his minka in Kamakura, Japan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (October 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568987315
• ISBN-13: 978-1568987316
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #800,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A different kind of book! October 27, 2007

By Mary-Jane Emmet

Format:Hardcover

Describing the loving restoration of an 18th century Japanese farmhouse by a well-known AP correspondent, this book also gives intriguing glimpses into Japanese culture of today and yesterday. John Roderick is careful to point out that he could not have accomplished the restoration without the Japanese family who "adopted" him. I found the book hard to put down, so skillfully is it constructed.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful excursion into the December 8, 2007

By David Roderick

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved this book! Rarely have I read a book that combines the richness of Japanese architecture, history and culture with the personal experiences of an American correspondent who simultaneously adopted a Japanese son and eventually gained a 18th century Japanese farmhouse in the process. It is a lively and fascinating account of John Roderick's life over a 50 year period of living in this country that remains an enigma to most foreigners. This is a refreshing look at a bit of Japanese archecture and family life accompanied by a witty, candid, and entertaining writing style. I strongly recommend it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse into another culture August 19, 2012

By Karen C

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book is subtitled "My Farmhouse in Japan" but it's not really a book about a house. I would say that the house is a thread through 40 or 50 years of John Roderick's life, but the book is about several things - moving and reassembling the house, for sure, but also Roderick's career as a journalist, learning about Japanese life and culture, building relationships with Yochan and his family, understanding convoluted Japanese bureaucracy, and other themes too.

John Roderick was referred to as a VCW (Veteran China Watcher) and I read this book because I am an Amateur Japan Watcher. I've lived in Japan, visited Gifu and other places Roderick mentioned, and visited houses like his minka (in historic villages - not ones that anybody was actually living in!). What a unique home to create, a modern living space in a traditional Japanese house. Imagine having to design living space in the attic which formerly housed the silk worms!

What an adventure Roderick lived in his minka. It's a great story and I recommend it. (I read the Kindle version.)