- The Making of Tatsumiya - Episode 5: Burning, Dyeing, and Harmonizing — The Philosophy of Finishing

As the construction of Tatsumiya neared the end, a quiet sense of tension hung in the air on site.
What awaited ahead was the pursuit of "the completion of the invisible parts."

For example, the finishing of the pillars and beams.
Rather than simply "painting," a special process was used in which the wood was baked and then dyed.

 

 

 

 

When the surface of the wood was heated with the flame of a burner, the annual rings became visible, and the grain was given depth and three-dimensionality.
After that, the wood was dyed in layers of color many times, giving it a texture that seems to permeate the "memory of time" deep within it.

It is not just a matter of applying color, but of "clad in time."
The new pillars begin to take on an air as if they have been there for a long time.
They will coexist with the real beams and weave a new history from here.

 

 

 

 

Special attention was also paid to the exterior structure that shapes the "outside" of the space.
The exterior of Tatsumiya is wrapped in a fence made of burnt cedar.
This is not just a screen, but functions as a "spiritual boundary" that gently separates the hustle and bustle of the town from the tranquility of the inn.

Burnt cedar is a traditional exterior material unique to Japan, where the surface of the cedar boards is burned to increase their durability and give them a unique texture and deep black color.
The black color softly absorbs the surrounding light and greenery, bringing a sense of calm to the space as if absorbing the passage of time.

The inn's signboard, as well as the toilets and washbasins, are made of Yakusugi, one of Japan's most famous woods.
Yakusugi, which is over 1,000 years old, has beautiful grain and a fragrant fragrance, and just being there gives the space an air of "sanctuary."

In this way, the tranquility of burnt cedar and the dignity of Yakusugi blend together to create an appearance that seems to envelop the entire Tatsumiya.
It is a modest arrangement that speaks not of flashiness but of "carefully selected materials."

 

 

 

 

There is no clear "finish line" for each of these tasks.
It is an area that cannot be measured by numbers or dimensions.
Nevertheless, the craftsmen and designers "prepared" the air quality so that the moment you enter the space you can feel "comfortable."

What we valued most in finishing this inn was that "completion" is "the moment when everything is ready."
Even if the structure and decoration are finished, if there is no soul in it, it is still incomplete.

 

 

 

 

When light, sound and texture quietly resonate with each other,
and one places themselves there, they suddenly feel the urge to take a deep breath.
That is the moment when "Tatsumiya as a whole building" is completed.

The essence of an inn lies in what cannot be seen.
Based on that philosophy, Tatsumiya is an inn that has been arranged so that the entire building is "tuned."

 

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