古民家オーナーインタビューvol.3
「道中庵ユースホステル」（後半）
Cominka Owners Interview vol.3 "Do-Tyu-An Youth Hostel"（The latter half）

English here.

「古民家びと企画」の古民家オーナーインタビュー第3弾は、宮城県仙台市にある「道中庵ユースホステル」のペアレント、板橋誠さん。建物や庭の隅々まで気配りが行き届き、都市部にある古民家の宿として海外のミシュランガイドに掲載されるなど評価も高い稀有な存在です。※この記事は、平成24年3月24日に行われた日帰りバスツアー「古民家にみる東日本大震災」の際のお話をまとめたものです。

③ かやぶき屋根の建物から現在の姿への改修

現在の建物になってからは、22年目になります。改修前は、夜になると建物の横の竹やぶが風でゆれる音が聞こえ、影が障子に映っていました。私達夫婦は、一生懸命で気付かなかったのですが、ある晩、若い女性に「怖くてどうしても眠れません」と言われ、妻が一緒に布団を並べて寝たことがありました。昔から伝承されている民話の中に迷い込んだようで怖い、と思われた方も多かったようです。又、当時の仙台市は100万都市を目指していたので、全国に先駆けた基準を色々設けていて、かやぶき屋根は宿泊施設に向かないという指導を受けていたこともありました。

そこで、子供や年配の方、外国人の方もたくさんいらっしゃるので、日本らしさを残しつつ、誰にでも受け入れられる明るい古民家にしたいと思い、改修を行うことにしました。偶然、農家向けの雑誌で見た建築家の降幡廣信さんに直接お電話して、ユースホステルの考え方や古民家を宿屋にして残したいという話をし、賛同して頂き設計を引き受けて頂きました。

外国では、例えば、イギリスのコッツウォルズに行きますと、かやぶき屋根の家が最低でも一億円で売買されています。しかし、当時は、古い材料を使うと貧乏人の家だと言われ、「火事場で焼け残ったような材料だ」と言われたこともあります。

そのうち時代は変わり、平成3年には、仙台市の都市景観賞を民間で初めて受賞しました。新聞やテレビに出たり、仙台以外から多くの人が訪ねたりして下さるようになりました。皆さんのように、こんな空間で暮らしたい、働いてみたいという方も増えています。

④ 古民家でがんばる方へ

事業をやっている以上は、お金を投資した分、回収される部分がないと困ります。始めた当初は、年間3000人の方に泊まって頂きました。現在の建物になってからは、5000人を突破しました。しかし、バブルが崩壊し、親の介護も始まりました。昔あれほど抵抗したけれど、自分の親を捨てるわけにもいかない。お客様も大事ですが、親の面倒をみる為に、現在は夕食を提供できておりません。険悪なムードではお客様を迎えられませんから、今では夫婦喧嘩もできません（笑）

最近の問題は、東日本大震災後の風評被害です。地震、津波は、自然なのでどうしようもない。しかし、何とかならないかと思うのが原発です。実は、ミシュランガイドにおすすめの宿として掲載され、フランス人の旅行者も多かったのです。それが、震災後は、パッタリとなくなりました。このような状態がいつまで続くか分かりませんが、以前泊まって頂いた外国の方々から多くのお便りを頂戴しています。古民家で何かをやっている人には、がんばって欲しいと思います。

<<前半へ

板橋誠さん

「道中庵ユースホステル」オーナーさんオススメのスポットはこちら！

ENGLISH

Cominka Owner Interview vol.3
"Do-Tyu-An Youth Hostel"(The latter half)

We would like to deliver you the 3rd edition of our "Cominka Owners Interview" – featuring Mr. Makoto Itabashi, the Parent of "Do-Tyu-An Youth Hostel" in Sendai, Miyagi. At his hostel, everything from the building through the garden is thoroughly taken care of. The hostel is a highly unique one, famous as a cominka-inn at the city center and it has been featured on the Michelin Guide overseas.(this article is a summary of his talk given at "The Great East Japan Earthquake from the perspective of cominka", a bus tour conducted on 24th March, 2012.

Refurbishment from a building of thatched roof to the current building.

It's been 22 years since the refurbishment. Before that, you could hear the sound of bamboos being blown by the wind and see shadows on the sliding doors. My wife and I were too busy to realize, but one night a guest of young lady said to us "I'm too scared to sleep", so my wife had to sleep beside her. It seems that many of our guests had been a bit scared, feeling like they walked into a world of long-standing myth and folklores. Also, Sendai at that time was aiming to be a city of one-million inhabitants, introducing many pioneering standards. In that context, I had been advised by the city hall that a building with thatched roof is not suitable for a lodging purpose.

So, as we have many guests of children, elderly people and foreign people, we decided to refurbish this cominka, hoping to make it a bright, open cominka with Japanese features. I directly called Hironobu Furihata, an architect whom I happened to find on a magazine for farmers, explaining the idea of Youth Hostel and my intention to convert a cominka into an inn. He supported my idea and agreed to design this refurbishment.

In other countries, for example in Cotswold in the UK, a house with thatched roof costs at least 100,000,000yen to buy. But at the time it was built, a house with old materials was looked down as that of poor people – once described as "material that looks like a residue of fire".

As time went by, the perception towards cominka changed, and in 1991, I received Sendai Urban Landscape Award – as the first awardee from the private sector. It was reported on newspapers and TV. We started to receive guests from outside of Sendai, too. Now there are more and more people who want to live, work in a space like this.

For those who want to work with cominka

As a business, the invested money has to come back in some ways. When we started this business, 3000 people a year stayed at our hostel. Now we have more than 5000. But now the bubble economy has collapsed and we have to take care of our parents. I rebelled against them so much, but no way I can just leave my parents when they need support. Although we are doing our best to make your stay enjoyable, we are at the moment not able to serve dinner, as we have to take care of our parents that time. As we have to greet our guests with friendly atmosphere, now I can't argue with my wife!

The latest difficulty we are facing now is the bad reputation caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. I understand that there isn't much we can do about the earthquake and tsunami – they are natural phenomenon. But I wish the nuclear power plant thing hadn't happened and we could have avoided that. As this Youth Hostel is featured on the Michelin Guide as a recommended inn, we used to have many French guests, but after 3/11, that flow of French guests just stopped completely. I don't know how long this state will last, but I'm receiving many letters from foreign people who have stayed here. I hope those of you who are doing something with cominka will overcome this difficulty.

<<To the first half

Makoto Itabashi

Parent – Do-Tyu-An Youth Hostel

Born as the eldest son of a farming family. As he was against rigid, old ideas of farmers, he left his home and became a businessman, after which he toured around Japan on his bicycle. Inspired by the comments he got while touring, such as "Tohoku is a good place, I wish I could make it my home", he developed the idea of starting an inn with thatched roof where one can experience farming. With his instinct and enthusiasm, he went abroad to research advanced cases. Sympathizing the concept of Youth Hostel, Itabashi opened Do-Tyu-An after returning Japan. The hostel made news and its opening was featured in many magazines and news programs. It was refurbished from thatched roof to its current state 22 years ago. The hostel received Sendai Urban Landscape Award in 1991 (first awardee from the private sector), and is featured on Michelin Guide as a recommended inn.

Do-Tyu-An Youth Hostel

2-3-7, Oonoda, Taihaku, Sendai, MiyagiTEL: +81-22-247-0511FAX: +81-22-247-0759

Discover the area with places the owner of “Do-Tyu-An Youth Hostel” recommends!
(only Japanese)