Kominka Japan’s Minka Summit
“The Woodstock of Minka”
The official Kominka Japan Minka Summit is an event held (almost) annually since 2022. As the membership numbers swelled on the Kominka Japan Facebook page, it seemed like a casual little get-together of minka enthusiasts was in order, and during the spring of 2021 we began planning what we thought would be a modest weekend of barbequing and perhaps 20-30 people sharing their minka stories sitting around a campfire.
However, interest in the event grew exponentially, and we began adding speaker presentations, workshops, tours of minka in various states of renovation, a “Minka Mall” with vendors selling everything from antique tansu to hand-crafted hinoki wood bathtubs, and akiya bank representatives sharing information about their respective areas.
We also began the tradition of a Friday Night Meet-and-Greet and Saturday Night Dinner & Keynote Speech. For the our first Minka Summit, we were most fortunate to have as our Keynote Speaker Alex Kerr. As surprised by all the enthusiasm and excitement as we all were, he declared it “the Woodstock of Minka.” Thanks to all of our wonderful speakers and other presenters, Minka Mall participants, those who opened their homes for our Minka Tours, and all of our local and student volunteers, Minka Summit 2022 became an unforgettable weekend for all.
Another tradition of each Minka Summit is the presentation of the “Weatherby,” a lifetime achievement award given to each of our keynote speakers. The award is named after Meredith Weatherby (1915-1997), the American founder of Weatherhill, which published numerous books on Japanese culture, and who may have been the first foreigner of the modern era to rescue and reside in a traditional Japanese minka.
Moreover, each event helps the local communities where the event is held. In Hanase, for instance, that tiny village of about 100 permanent residents swelled to around 400 on Summit weekend, attendees staying at nearby local inns and campsites and frequenting its shops and cafés. Locals were amazed by the variety of license plates adorning the cars in the venue’s parking lot, cars from nearly every prefecture in Japan. One local told us he received a firm offer for his thatched-roof minka, surprised anyone would want to buy it; it renewed his spirit to preserve it for his family. Many others were amazed that so many foreigners not only appreciated minka, but that many were very knowledgeable about minka architecture and history, some even skilled in the arts of Japanese carpentry and plasterwork.
We had no immediate plans to follow it up with another event, but due to popular demand Minka Summit 2023 was held Shinshiro, Aichi (with Keynote Speaker Yoshihiro Takishita), then returned to Hanase, Kyoto for Minka Summit 2024 (with Keynote Speaker Azby Brown). Despite travel restrictions imposed by the waning COVID-19 pandemic, at the first Summit we had enthusiastic attendees from as far away as the United States, Great Britain, and even Poland, and the international presence seems to increase with each Minka Summit. And, with each Minka Summit, we try to make the experience for attendees even better than the previous year.
The Kominka Japan Minka Summits would not be possible without our corporate sponsors, local support, our volunteers, guest speakers and workshop presenters, Minka Mall participants … and all of YOU. These are YOUR events; we’re just here to corral and correlate and coordinate everything, and we welcome your suggestions for future Minka Summit events, and invite those interested in help shaping Minka Summit 2026 or to just volunteering to email us anytime.
We hope to see you at Minka Summit 2026!
