Books English edition 2018
"Why I Became a Thatcher"
75 pages (A4 size)
This book traces my journey into the world of Japanese thatching, from personal struggle and apprenticeship to becoming a master thatcher.
Through stories of tradition, breakdown, and rediscovery, it explores what thatched roofs teach us about time, community, and resilience.
It is both a memoir and a reflection on how ancient rural wisdom can speak to the modern world.
Table of Contents Dedication Preface Tribute to My Master 1. Why I Became a Thatcher 1-1 What Inspired Me to Became a Thatcher 1-2 Stepping Into the World of Thatching 1-3 A Forty-Year Gap in Thatching Generations 1-4 A Drifting Childhood and the Emptiness of My Teenage Years 1-5 My University Days in the Athletic Club: Breaking Limits 1-6 Enlightenment in the Bathroom 1-7 Column: Rural People—Descendants of Investor Communities 2. Breakdown, Career Change, and a Nationwide Apprenticeship Journey 2-1 Making a Living Selling Roasted Sweet Potatoes in Winter 2-2 The Roasted Sweet Potato Stand: A School of Business 2-3 Apprenticeship in the UK: A Journey of Discovery 2-4 Breakdown, Career Change, and a Nationwide Apprenticeship Journey 2-5 Legends of Japan’s Master Thatchers 2-6 Founding a Thatching Company 2-7 A Mysterious Experience and the Voice of Destiny 3. The Message Thatching Conveys to the Modern World 3-1 What Is 'Kaya'? A Message of Timelessness 3-2 What’s So Great About Thatched Roofs? 3-3 How Have Thatched Roofs Been Maintained? 3-4 A Global Thatching Boom 3-5 Why Are Thatched Roofs Disappearing in Japan? 3-6 Column: “No Thatch, No Thatchers” — A Modern-Day Excuse 4. Making Thatched Houses Something Everyone Can Share 4-1 The Beginning of “Miyama FUTON & Breakfast” 4-2 Making Thatched Houses Something Everyone Can Share 4-3 Thatched Houses Preserved by the Public 4-4 Column: Tourism as an Industry that Creates Unity and Peace Afterword
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Books Japanese edition 2018
" Why I Became a Thatcher "
「私は、なぜ茅葺き職人になったのか」
目次 まえがき 第一章私は、なぜ茅葺き職人になったのか。 茅葺き職人になったきっかけ 茅葺き職人の世界に飛び込んで 茅葺き職人の四十年の世代ブランク 転勤族、空虚感を感じた十代 体育会系でしごかれた大学時代 茅葺き職人の四十年の世代ブランク トイレでの悟り コラム 田舎の人々は、投資家集団の末裔 第二章挫折、転職、全国武者修行の旅 冬場、焼き芋屋で生計を立てる 焼き芋屋は商売の学校 イギリスで武者修行 挫折、転職、全国武者修行 全国茅葺き職人列伝 茅葺きの会社を設立 コラム 不思議な体験、天命を知る 第三章茅葺きが現代に伝えるメッセージ 「かや」とは？秘められた永遠性のメッセージ 茅葺きのいい所は何？ 茅葺きはどうやって維持されてきたのか 今、世界で茅葺きブーム なぜ、茅葺きは減少し続けるのか コラム 「茅がない、職人がいない」は現代の免罪符 第四章茅葺きを大衆でシェアできるものに 茅葺き民家一日一組一棟貸し宿のはじまり 茅葺きを大衆でシェアできるものに 茅葺きを大衆で共有する コラム 観光業は、「一体感」創出平和産業 あとがき 茅葺きのある未来をつくる 親方への追悼文