The story of the Toma House in Nara, Japan, is a profound meditation on memory, decay, and the enduring connection between humans and habitat, a narrative presented and brought into focus by NOWNESS. This 18th-century residence, once belonging to a Shinto priest family, stands preserved on the perimeter of a primeval forest leading to the sacred Kasugataisha Shrine, sharing its setting with free-roaming deer considered messengers of the Shinto gods. The monumental effort to save the structure from near-collapse and transition it into a dynamic art space—hosting exhibitions, workshops, and artist residencies—was undertaken by Shingo Sakuma and Jin-Yi Liu, descendants of the Toma family. These individuals have been instrumental in restoring the house, often enlisting traditional craftspeople to work on its individual elements while deliberately leaving certain parts of the property untouched.
The inherent philosophy surrounding the house, shared through the Nowness presentation, posits that a house is fundamentally akin to a "living creature" with which its human residents are in constant interaction and reaction. This dynamic relationship is experienced viscerally; upon entry, one notices the smell of food, which feels particularly strong in the evening. Living within the structure cultivates a heightened sensory awareness, fostering what feels like a "conversation with nature," evidenced by a sensitivity to the specific colors of the seasons and flowers. The house itself is a repository of ancestry, its history layered from the exterior inward, particularly through the gen (entryway). For the family members, the 遠け 住宅 (Toma Residence) holds deep personal significance, defined by constant visits since childhood, including shared meals around the Peko (stove) during winter and visits during hot summer holidays.
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NOWNESS - At Toma House in Nara, Japan
However, this repository of happy memories entered a period of severe decline following the grandfather’s passing, roughly during the speaker’s high school or college years. The decay was extensive, with the floor rotting and collapsing in places, leaving the house nearly unrecognizable, described as having "no shadow" or former appearance remaining. Despite the near ruin, the fusuma (sliding doors), though tattered and worn out, miraculously survived. Shingo Sakuma and Jin-Yi Liu’s preservation approach embraces this imperfection, finding great interest in places that are incomplete or "wounded". They operate on the principle that restoration (shūfuku) cannot result in a complete return to a perfect, original state. Instead, the act of repair is understood as an integral component of the building’s evolving history—just one more phase of change that the structure endures. The belief is that the very incompleteness of the place is what allows it the necessary capacity to continue evolving.
Architecturally, the structure embodies the traditional Japanese aesthetic appeal found in dimly lit areas (usugurai bubun) within the rooms. This contrasts sharply with modern, constantly illuminated environments; in the pre-electric age, darkness likely did not inherently cause discomfort. The unique charm of these spaces lies in their obscure corners, where the nature of what is present is not always entirely clear—a quality that naturally arises from the house’s construction. Ultimately, the Toma House is not a passive backdrop; it is perceived as actively observing those who live there. NOWNESS’s documentation highlights a structure that has stood firm in its neighborhood for more than 200 years, steadfastly overlooking its surroundings even as numerous neighboring residences have been removed or torn down.
