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More pics and floor plan of the Jo-Sho-Ji temple

The response to my previous mailing about the salvage of a wooden structure temple in Osaka was just overwhelming.
I am confident we will be able to find the right match for the structure and I will keep you posted with the progress of the transactions, site surveys and schedule.

Actually at the moment the keys of the hon-do (the main pavillion) are now in the hands of the Buddhist authority which is considering the application for the secularization of the building. The monk cannot let us inside in this phase, so the real estate agent passed me few more detailed pictures of the structure from the outside.

The temple name is Jo-Sho-ji.
Here below is the street view of the site.

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/@34.6815783,135.4487177,3a,75y,9.19h,83.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sb7s0eoASaHsImXUR1wCQoQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1?hl=ja

Here below is a site plan showing the external dimensions (excluding the projection of the roof). The area highlighted in light blue is the hon-do (main hall)

SCHEDULE (tentative):

* 2015/11
Within the end of november I am planning to make a survey inside the building and ask a specialized company an estimate of the cost for dismantling the structure in such a way it can be rebuild without damage. I am planning to enquire Kongo-gumi which is specialized in the construction and maintenance of religious architecture since year 578 A.D. !!

As said earlier, the cost of the building itself, including the accessories is free of charge.
* 2015/12
Following, I will evaluate the cost of loading on containers, customs issues and shipping cost. I should be able to have clear data by the end of december.
* 2016/1
A couple of weeks should be enough to evaluate the feasibility of the project and the most suitable “foster family”.
* 2016/2
Time to carefully dismantle the structure as the D-day for the demolition is set for the end of the month.

Please refer to this blog for updates and additional details.

All the Best//

iacopo torrini

construction of sushi counter

update: see the pictures of the completed counter here:
https://www.bartokdesign.com/7-custom_ofuro/sushi-counter-for-hk.php

We are now building 2 hinoki wood counters. They will sit on top a marble counter and will have a stainless steel cladding towards the kitchen.
The substructure of the counter consists of blocks of AB and B grade hinoki laminated together.

The corners are round so after laminating the necessary width, we used a jigsaw and trimmer to shape them.

Finally, we will apply a 7mm veneer on the top and front and a 3mm veneer on the curved corners, for this reason there is an indent in the base.

We were lucky to find a very beautiful lumber, quarter sawn (with straight grain) more than 7m long. We will use this for the surface layer. Even if the counter is divided in sections for transportation and assembly, the wood grain will naturally flow on the counter once completed.

Update about the project of transferring the temple:

This makes me think that there is a great potential in acting as a bridge between the “shining new building addict” Japanese and the community of the japan-lovers worldwide.
It looks like a win-win situation.

There are hundreds of kura (storage house), kaoku (house) , minka (country house) and even theatre stages, ryokans, bathhouses that are being wiped away everyday.
If there is anything I can do to match the right building with the right owner, I will do it!

Here below is some of the feedback I received:

Dear Iacopo,

Not a crazy idea at all!! I think it’s a great idea. Please can you let me know dismantling and shipping charges to UK and I have a storage place here.
Also I want to use the tub now so can this also be shipped Asap!
I am going to use much more Japanese things in our projects in the UK and Europe.
Best Wishes

Hi Iacopo,

I must say you sure have a way to attract my interest !!
Well, as I might have told you I live in a house with approximately 11,000 square meters of land around it and therefore plenty of room, I think, for the temple.
Also, Cairns has a permanent population of about 3,500 Japanese who, I would think, they would be entusiastic to knwo that there is an progonal temple in their city.
Could you please tell me more Iacopo? Any idea how much it will cost to dismantle it and the sort of volume/weight of material it will generate to transport it to Australia. If I have that kind of information I will be able to start getting some quotes and some idea of the cost of transporting it to Cairns.
Further, I guess I will need to know how to reassemble it once here.
Depending on the expense involved I might try to engage the local Japanese community to ee whether they are able contribute to the project somehow.
I am really quite excited about this idea!
By the way, Iacopo, my invitation to you and your family to visit Cairns is still open ended! If Zeno wants to come to Cairns to study some English at my school he is always most welcome!
Cheers

Hello from France,
Your message as just reached us and we care about your project…as you said “teleporting” would have a smell of unthinkable ! We could dare…

Do you have floor plans and other pictures of the inside of the Temple house ?
We could be interested to find a new location in the other country of the biggest European Natural forest and Ocean coast near Bordeaux and Biarritz in France ( South West ).
We are looking forward to understand what is the inside shape and craftsmanship pieces with other pictures ?Do you have technical pre study about the process of transplantation with an architect ? Any idea about the cost involved ?
Let’s talk about it ?
Have a nice day.
With our best regards.
Cordiales salutations.

I wish we had the space!
It makes our hearts sing for Japan…
Thanks for showing me

Hello and thank you for your message regarding the temple. I own a large land in ***** in the north of France. I would love to make a special place for people to come and create/compose/write/meditate… Can you send me more details? Idea of costs? There is just 20km from my place one of the largest ports in France, Le Havre…. container ships arriving everyday from all over the world. I look forward to hearing from you
warm regards

Dear Iacopo,
Have you had any responses yet?
I have been wondering about some of my colleagues who may have large amounts of land attached to their properties out of London.
Also, I will forward to my contacts in the Oriental Studies Department at Oxford University- maybe the university would be interested.
I believe we could make this happen.
Kind regards,

Torrini, Wow. We should have just gotten the temple and not built the house. I’m not sure how our neighbors would take to it though.
We will be getting back to you on our Japanese room shortly. Thanks.

Hello
I am very interested. Can you tell me what is the cost and what are the dimensions?
I live in Arizona USA and I have just the perfect place
Thanks

Great iacopo,
We are looking forward to this project. I am sure we can make this happen.
We have the right people and space to rebuild and keep the temple in honor.
Thank you again and hope to talk to you later.
Warm regards,

Then, there are many courtesy messages and many people interested in the artifacts and parts of the building.
I think I will give priority to the projects which would reconstruct the building in its integrity.

There is even a friend asking the cost of the land with the temple on it.
Is he planning to move to japan? I will check with him in private…

Anyway, keep tuned. I will post here additional information and updates.
Sayonara!

Bring home a japanese temple!

I have to admit, I LOVE that we live in a day and age where we can think of the unthinkable.
Have you ever considered teleporting a japanese temple in your backyard and using it to surprise your friends invited for a genuine tea ceremony?

It sounds crazy? Actually it is.
But you can, and it is free.
Feel free to read here below for more details.

A japanese temple looking for a caring home.

I was having a coffee with a real estate company I am working with and heard that this temple , located in Osaka is going to be destroyed in february 2016.
The buddhist priest does not have heirs or apprentices and could convince the community that there is no future for the temple.
Since his family is owning the land, he is going to tear the building down, sell the land and use the proceeds for his retirement.

This is the external gate. The temple was rebuild after the WWII so it is not ancient but as every temple in japan uses premium handcrafted material.
The fact that it is relatively recent also means that the construction materials are still in very good conditions.
If we cannot save this site, how about rebuilding the temple somewhere else?

Alternatively, I also think it would make sense to reuse the material for other scopes. There are many statues in pristine conditions.
“hongawara type” roof shingles, doors, shelves, “ranma” carvings, tatami mats, shoji screens, framing material etc.
Japanese timber frame buildings can be dismantled and reassembled without major disruption.

I think we should give the good example and show to the japanese how much the traditional culture and historic heritage are precious.

What do you think? Do you need the temple? It is free!
Of course there will be costs involved in dismantling the materials and shipping them in a container.
But I think that it can be a unique chance to enter in possession of a precious artifact.
I am sharing this information just in case it may match you or your aquaintances schedule and plans.

My hope is that the action of a foreigner “adopting an historical building” may trigger a shift towards a different set of mind in Japan.
Please let me know if you want more information. We have to act quickly as the demolition date has already been set (february 2016).

Contact me at japan@bartokdesign.com for any question.

Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!

iacopo

UPDATE 10/20

We had an overwhelming feedback!
Thanks everybody for the prompt and kind reply.
I will get in touch with the real estate company and get more information.
I am planning to get back to you before the end of october.

All the Best//

HINOKI TUB FOR JAPANESE SPEAKER

When we receved an email from Australia in spotless japanese we were so surprised!
The mistery was cleared as we were told he studied and worked in Tokyo for a few years in his youth.

I imagine that the aroma of hinoki must bring back powerful memories and dejavues!

The client even come to visit our workshop,then after about one year he finalized the details of the order with a tight correspondance in japanese.
(My carpenter was galvanized at the fact he could answer back easily without translation so I think he indulged in corresponding even more than strictly necessary…)

Here below are the specs of the tub:

material: natural Japanese Knotless Hinoki bathtub (quartersawn)
Sizes: L1100mm x W700mm x H761mm (ext. dim.) 661mm (deep)
Note: wooden dowels, coppper apron, iron brand at short side, top left
accessories:
– Hinoki wood lid (2 pcs)
– Hinoki wood traditional stool
– Asnaro wood floor mounted spout type E
– Complimentary hygrometer

SMALL TUB FOR SHOWER

Model/material: japanese Knotless Sawara cypress wood bathtub
Sizes: L850mm x W630mm x 740mm (630mm deep)
Note: stainless steel wire bands. Iron brand at front top-right

outlet round tub – sold out!

sorry, sold out!

This gorgeous barrel type tub was ordered by an architecture office.
Apparently the project was modified and they will have to reorder another tub with different dimensions.
For this reason, the client asked me to place the tub in the outlet corner at a discounted price. The tub is brand new, unused and ready for shipment!

The price is 450,000 JPY including the plywood box used for the freight.
Shipment cost is excluded and depends on the location.
Indicatively, air shipment to europe will be around 160,000 JPY.

But let`s go back to this very stilish yet primitive and powerful barrel type tub.
Here are the specs:
material: japanese Knotless hinoki wood round shape bathtub
sizes: diam 900mm x H740mm (int. depth 630mm)
details: stainless steel band. Iron brand at front center

The iron brand will be applied before shipment as the combined effect of the “burn” of the iron brand and the concentrated hinoki aromatic atmosphere inside the cellophane wrap may cause the wood around the brand to blur.

Custom kado-maru for Singapore

An architect from Singapore contacted us for this project.
It is a nice kado-maru model with custom sizes and internal seat.

The order process was very smooth. For the shipping, we proposed to use DHL as the new services price-list is very competitive and allows us to use a cardboard for the packaging, thus saving additionally on the shipping costs altogether.

The main note about this tub is that the client absolutely wanted it in hinoki wood, although usually we employ sawara for this type of barrel construction models.
Sawara is easier to work in curved elements and the bands make a better grip into the softer wood, but … we will make that extra step if we can satisfy the client`s wishes!

Here are the specs:
Model/material: Japanese Knotless Hinoki “Oke” bathtub
Sizes: L1100mm x W630mm x 740mm (620mm deep)
Options: Hinoki wood internal seat W400mm
Accessories: Hinoki wood step stool W400mm x D320mm x H300mm

Knotty tub for Germany

I have been contacted in 2014 for the tub for a new construction house.
The client is an architect who is building her own house and as a professional she had a perfect understanding of the material, site preparation (gradients, waterproofing) and details.

She choose the oil finish for the apron and was concerned that the difference of color may not look good, so she considered having the front face of the tub treated with natural oil as well. It is a very good insight, but finally we went on with our standard detail for two reasons:

1) if we were to apply the oil on the front side, to keep the system balanced and prevent internal stresses/distorions, we would have to treat the 4 sides.
This should be relatively safe, but to be honest, we never did until now and would prefer to apply the oil only on the cross section of the bottom plank.

2) The bottom plank cross section looks of a darker color when treated with oil. But this is mainly an effect due to the camera lenses. It is not so evident in reality

The tub uses beautiful knotty planks with their natural pattern.
Here are the specs:
Material: Japanese Hinoki wood K grade (knotty)
Sizes: L1300mm x W750mm x 660mm (550mm deep)
Features: Natural oil finish, Wooden dowels, Iron brand at front top-right

8 tubs on the roof

Well, there are some moments in life that make you feel proud.
I could not contain my emotions when I saw the pictures of the tubs on the roof top overlooking the ocean…

The carpenters went on site to verify that the tubs were installed properly and that the maintenance instructions were implemented correctly.
Too bad I could not make it… but I will definitely go when the project is 100% completed to enjoy the view … and the hot water!

Each tub is comfortable for 6 people.
Material: japanese knotless sawara wood.
Size: Dia 2000mm x H730mm (600mm deep)
Option: internal seat

Each tub is equipped with a step-bench in asnaro wood W600 D320 H300mm
and a floor mounted Spout in asnaro wood (E type)