Efforts to preserve and relocate Japan’s historic kominka buildings are gaining traction internationally, with several traditional wooden structures being dismantled, shipped, and reconstructed abroad for new uses. These projects aim to save endangered buildings through careful adaptation while honoring their cultural significance.

One such initiative involves a 130-year-old plaster storehouse, or kura, originally used for storing silk thread in Shinshiro. The building’s carefully cataloged timber, prized for its tight grain and resilience developed over more than a century, is being reassembled as a woodworking shop in Tyringham, Massachusetts. Craftsmen overseeing the project are meticulously fitting the original pine beams into place using traditional woodworking techniques such as mortise-and-tenon joinery.

Another kominka, constructed from salvaged materials of a theater associated with a Shinto shrine, is slated to become a 900-square-foot accessory dwelling unit on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Additional relocation projects include moving a thatched-roof house, shrine, torii gate, and parts of a desanctified Buddhist temple to a public garden in California. These efforts are supported by groups such as Kominka Collective and Toda Komuten, specialists in traditional Japanese architecture.

In Jamaica, preservationist Chris Ohrstrom is collaborating with the same organizations to repurpose a 1905 kominka from Niigata Prefecture into a four-bedroom guesthouse for a retreat center. This adaptation involves replacing the original thatched roof with a timber-frame, wood-shingled alternative designed to withstand hurricanes. Modifications also address the structure’s traditional layout: because original kominka often lack hallways, the redesigned building will feature an engawa wrap-around veranda and increased natural light through added windows and a clerestory. Ohrstrom acknowledges the challenges of maintaining a traditional Japanese aesthetic while adapting the home to a tropical climate, humorously describing the resulting style as “Japaican.”

Concerns about cultural appropriation have been considered in these projects. One lead carpenter consulted a Buddhist theologian, who affirmed that reuse aligns with Buddhist beliefs, emphasizing sustainability and mindfulness in consumption. He noted that moving old buildings is a long-standing practice in Japan and reflects deep respect for the skill and resources invested in their construction. The philosophy of mottainai, which promotes thrift and the careful use of resources, resonates strongly in these preservation efforts, connecting to both Buddhist and Shinto principles.

Architect and kominka conservationist Yoshihiro Takishita, who has participated in relocating buildings within Japan as well as internationally to locations such as Hawaii and Argentina, described these traditional homes as possessing “tremendous power” that transcends borders, politics, and religion. He stressed that preserving the historical and cultural value of the buildings is paramount, regardless of their geographic location. For those committed to safeguarding Japan’s architectural heritage, relocation abroad offers a vital means of preventing demolition and extinction of these culturally significant structures.