Episode 08 In the Cold Rain, Yodoe Project Has Started

On December 23, 2018, with the pouring cold rain, nine members from Osaka, Kyoto, and several towns and cities from Tottori Prefecture gathered in Yodoe with a call by Shota Nozaki A.K.A. Shokichi. With their help, three sheds in the garden and many belongings in the earthen-floor kitchen were cleared out all at once.

Members List

★From Kansai Region (Osaka, Nara, Kobe, and Kyoto)

• Shokichi (Shota Nozaki, Osaka resident): Former Maeda Bunka member and currently the run Noma, the architect group
• Kumiko (Kumiko Sahara, Osaka resident)
• Takashi Matsuo (The owner of “Ore Rock.” Nara resident)
• Yu Mama, (Emi Ihara, housewife with renovation skills. Kobe resident)

•        Yoshiharu & Asako Takaya (Kyoto resident)

  ★From Hamamuracho, Tottori City

•  Shotaro (Shotaro Miyahara): Former Party Kensetsu (Party Architecture) member and currently Café Miracle owner

 ★From Yonago

• Satoshi Morita (Currently Yonago City Council member)
• Yuhei Kawatsu (Currently the owner of the coffee shop “Uchu-No-Katasumi-De-Tsune-Ni-Asa 

Yoko’s cousin, Junichi Sugimoto, who lived in Nezucho (Tottori Prefecture), was also present and kindly sorted out rare and valuable items that are not common these days, such as small charcoal kotatsu (leg-warming device for winter) and agricultural equipment. Some of these items were sent to the History and Folklore Museum in Hinocho (Tottori Prefecture) to preserve them.

In the evening, members enjoy the exquisite meals prepared by Kumiko Sahara in the connecting rooms of the Japanese-style room and the Home Office in the main house. She prepared Niku-Sui (Osaka’s specialty meal, which is like meat udon without udon), Kani-no-Yosenabe (hot pot with crab legs), and boiled crab. 

Five more people, who were Yoko's high school classmates and Wolisu staff, joined this gathering as well. The conversation started with self-introductions, and the fun continued until late into the night. Those who first became sleepy slept in the annex, which was under renovation, and the rest of them slept in the main house.

The next day, on the 24th, just as everyone was cleaning up and getting ready to go home, Kazuo Maeda from the neighborhood and Mr. and Mrs. Oshita from Mei-chan Farm stopped by.

Mr. Maeda and Yoko's father, Shigeru, were the same age. Mrs. Maeda and Yoko's mother, Keiko were also the same age. Mrs. Maeda and Keiko were close friends and went on overseas trips together.

After Keiko passed away and Shigeru lived alone, Mr. and Mrs. Maeda always visited Shigeru to check on him. That continued even after he passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Maeda often came to mow the garden and field and took care of the graves while Yoko was in Osaka. They knew the property better than Yoko, and they taught everyone a lot of things on this day as well.

Before departure, Yoko took conbustible garbage with food waste to the Yonago Clean Center by car, but kept some recycable garbage in the garage.

"I'll be back in January. I'll clean up this trash at that time." She told Mr. Maeda. 

Then he replied, “Just leave them here as is. I'll throw it away little by little.”

Yoko was deeply grateful for her neighbors, and she headed back to Osaka.

This was the end of the first round of Yodoe Project, which will continue for a several years.