The amazing thing about the Internet is that while researching something, one can stumble onto something else and get lost for a while exploring this new place on the web one has discovered. In this case, I was looking into engawa (the veranda/porch areas of Japanese homes that are sometimes enclosed) when I came across a blog from the Ibaraki Prefecture, touting their satoyama (country) life style.

Most of you reading my blog have seen an anime or read a manga that features traditional Japanese houses. Indeed, my researching engawa was due to their frequent use in the manga xxxHOLiC by CLAMP. However, seeing it drawn (as in the image above) is one thing. Seeing it for real is another.

These images from that blog lead me to this tag (高柴モニター１号) and scrolling down through the 55 posts, I was amazed at some of the photography showing a family living in a traditional, rural Japanese home (and an old one from the looks of it). Another post (whether the same family or not, I cannot say since it seems that this is a community blog) showed more incredible pictures of a traditional Japanese home, this time to include the kitchen.

While these pictures amazed me and made me want to pay a visit to this area of Japan, it also made me appreciate the fact that I have central heating and air rather than tons of space heaters and a fire pit during the winter and open doors during the summer. It also made me appreciate having a modern kitchen and while I’d love for mine to be bigger, I’m glad it isn’t any smaller. ^_^;

Anyway, check it out for yourself. It may make you appreciate moments when traditional Japanese homes are shown in anime or manga. ^_^

Update (20141229): The original blog and the awesome photos are either removed or in a different spot. The base website still exists, though it appears to be little more than an tourist promotional site in Japanese.