Tomokan is the name given to a couple of refurbished buildings in the tiny fishing village of Tomogaura, part of the World Heritage Sites of the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mines as it was one of the ports that serviced the mines.
It is thought they were originally built in the early to mid 19th century. The outbuilding is open all year round and has exhibitions connected to the port and the route to the mine.
The main house is only open from March through November. Tomokan is unmanned and free to enter.
If you are in the area then it is a good opportunity to look around a small, traditional home. My house was built about a hundred years later but used a similar construction . What is unusual is that both buildings are completely clad in sheets of cedar bark.
Would the cedar bark cladding help keep certain bugs away? Or was it just a convenient local material?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, though I have also seen it used on interior walls in bathrooms so it is obviously resistant to mould
DeleteThat's interesting, I hadn't thought about the mold angle. Thanks.
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