The Making of Tatsumiya - Part 1: Fragments of History Revealed Through Dismantling
【Introduction】
In June 2025, a new guesthouse named Tatsumiya will open in Tenma, Osaka.
Rooted in the merchant culture and traditional architecture of the Edo period, this machiya guesthouse is more than a simple restoration.
From scattered fragments of history, we have carefully shaped a space that connects past and present.
In this series, we’ll share the journey of “how Tatsumiya came to be” and explore what makes this place truly special.
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It All Began with an Old Townhouse
Tatsumiya’s story begins with a single, forgotten house.
Down a quiet alley in Tenma, Osaka stood a weathered building.
To most, it appeared to be just an old warehouse—nothing more.
Before it became a storage space, we later learned, it had once been someone’s home.
Its outer walls were so worn that even the year it was built was unknown.
But hidden behind the cracked facade was a silent presence—a history buried deep in time.
The moment the heavy machinery arrived and dismantling began, that silence began to speak.
The first discovery: a thick, soot-darkened beam.
Above the ceiling, blackened wooden supports emerged—evidence that this house had stood through years of daily life, warmth, and smoke.
When the walls came down, we found layers of earthen plaster, covered by faded sheets of newspaper.
Surprisingly, they dated back more than 80 years—just after World War II.
In those difficult times, when materials were scarce, people reused what they had.
Newspapers became insulation and moisture absorbers—a creative effort to make homes more livable with limited resources.
Inside the worn walls, headlines, handwritten notes, and half-faded ads still remained.
Even now, they seemed to whisper across time.
It wasn’t just recycling—it was wisdom born from necessity, and above all, a desire to protect the lives inside.
Even after 80 years, those simple solutions, that quiet warmth, still lingered in the bones of the house.
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Perhaps dismantling isn’t about destruction.
Perhaps it’s about receiving.
This townhouse wasn’t simply torn down.
It gave us messages—memories—that we carefully gathered and now carry forward.
That silent conversation with the past became the very origin of Tatsumiya.
The building is not yet complete.
But we’ve already received more than we ever imagined—from the house itself.
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And now, we’re inviting you to be part of this story.
We are currently accepting applications for our pre-opening stay experience (1 night free).
Come and see the next chapter with your own eyes.
