The New Defenders of Kyoto Townhouses" from Around the World - Connecting Kyoto to the Next Generation Project

When you walk through the streets of Kyoto, you suddenly see beautiful lattice doors and narrow alleys leading to the back of the house. This scenery, which we take for granted, is gradually being lost.

A project is now underway to give shape to this desire with young people not only from Japan but from around the world.

Why "Kyoto" for young people in the U.S. and Canada?

Sustainable living" is now a major movement among North Americans in their 20's and 30's. It is environmentally friendly and authentic.

In fact, Japan's "Kyomachiya" is a pioneer in this field. Machiya, which are made entirely of natural materials such as earth, wood, and paper, and are restored and lived in, are the "ultimate dream" for these people. The combination of their new sensibilities and Kyoto's traditional craftsmanship breathes new life into machiya houses.

Connecting craftsmen's "skills" to the world

In this project, young people from overseas "apprentice" themselves to a construction company in Kyoto.

• Learning in the field: This is not just a sightseeing tour, but an opportunity to actually hold the canner and learn traditional techniques by watching the backs of the craftsmen.
• Transmit to the world: They are good at social networking and video. They share their artisans' wonderful handiwork with the world in their own words.
• Recognized as a "Kyoto Craftsman." Upon completion of the training, we will award you with our "Certificate of Inheritance of the Kyoto Technique".

Leave the "difficult procedures" to the professionals.

My role is to remove such concerns of local construction companies.

I have worked in public administration at the Kyoto Prefectural Government for 35 years. With that experience, I can responsibly support difficult visa procedures as an administrative scrivener. I want craftsmen to concentrate purely on teaching and building their craft. That is my wish.

An abandoned house in town becomes a hub for connecting with the world

The project base will be created by renovating an old townhouse. It will be a place where young people from abroad will sleep, eat, and greet their neighbors. They are not "strangers," but rather, they blend into the community as "friends who protect Kyoto together. I would like to follow such warm scenery through my lens.

Together, we will pass on "True Kyoto" to the next generation.

This project is not just about fixing up old buildings. It is a challenge to connect the hearts and skills that love Kyoto across borders, and to leave a city we can be proud of to the next generation.

If you see young people from overseas hard at work whittling wood on a street corner, please give them a warm welcome. They are also important "guardians" of Kyoto.