Why the Exterior Carries the Weight During countless projects in rural Japan, I often pause in front of a building and marvel at how the outer shell can bear so much weight. Unlike conventional structures that rely on internal frames, stressed skin designs make the
The Heartbeat of Everyday Life Walking into a kitchen for me is like stepping into the pulse of a home. It’s where mornings begin with the ritual of coffee, where sunlight hits the counter just right as someone chops vegetables, and where the air carries
The Joy of Backyard Barbecue Few things in life match the simple pleasure of cooking outdoors. I’ve spent countless hours building and testing barbecue pits, and what I’ve learned is that the experience is just as important as the outcome. The smell of firewood, the
Ceilings Deserve More Attention Than We Give Them When you walk into a room, your eyes naturally go to the walls, the furniture, maybe the windows. The ceiling is too often treated as dead space, painted white and forgotten. Yet a subtle shift overhead changes
Why I Don’t Call It a Trend Where I live half the year, there’s no grid to tie into. Not unless you’re ready to fork out a fortune for a dozen poles and a trench the length of a football field. So solar isn’t a
Living With Heat, Paying the Price If you’ve spent a summer in Japan, you already know: it gets hot. But it’s not just the kind of dry, baking heat you find in deserts—it’s humid, sticky, and persistent. In the countryside, I’ve often wrapped a wet
Why I Chose to Install Solar Panels When I first moved out to the edge of the mountains in rural Tottori, electricity was the one thing that still tied me to the grid. Everything else — water, food, heat — I had figured out in
The switch that talks back Walk into a Japanese home on a rainy evening, and you might spot a dim orange glow by the door. That’s no decoration. It’s a pilot switch, quietly letting you know that something’s on—usually a light outside or in a
The Quiet Work Before the First Plank When people talk about flooring, they often jump right to the pretty part — wood tones, finishes, grain patterns. That’s the show. But anyone who’s spent a day on their knees in an empty room with a chalk
When old wood meets new light I bought a house most people wouldn’t touch. Not because I’m reckless, but because I saw something still alive under the dust and cracked siding. Back in 2016, I was working contracts in the mountains of Gifu, and the
Creating Kitchens That Work and Feel Alive 
Designing Light yet Strong: Stressed Skin Explained 
The Simple Physics Behind Holding Loads 
Transforming a Room with Wood Veneer Ceilings 
Solar Power in Japan: The Tax Reality 
Flooring Installation: How to Perfect Layout and Joints 
Living with Air Conditioners the Japanese Way