Thatched Attic Room | Once a Storage Space for Thatching Reed, Now a Dreamlike Retreat

This renovated attic was once a traditional kaya storage space, where families kept thatching reed for generations. Soft light enters through skylight windows, and traces of 100-year-old ropes and thatch remain, creating a peaceful and deeply historic atmosphere.
Roof attic inside a traditional Japanese thatched house in Miyama Kyoto
Thatched roof attic inside a traditional house in Miyama Kyoto
Attic space beneath a traditional thatched roof in Miyama Kyoto
Interior attic structure of a thatched roof house in Miyama Kyoto

Project Info

Client Miyama Heritage Stays

Project Description

The attic space in a traditional thatched-roof farmhouse in Miyama was originally used as a storage area for kaya (thatching reed).

Every autumn, families would harvest kaya together and dry it until spring. Once fully dried, the reeds were carried up into the attic and stored there, ready for future roof repairs.

Because the attic was low in humidity and well ventilated, it was an ideal place to preserve kaya for many years. It was also an extremely efficient system. When it was time to re-thatch the roof, scaffolding would be built, and once the old roof was removed, fresh kaya could be taken directly from the attic and placed onto the scaffolding above—making the entire process faster and more practical.

Today, however, this attic has been carefully renovated and transformed into a quiet, dreamlike room, filled with atmosphere and history.

You may use it as a bedroom, or as a personal space for reading, meditation, yoga, or simply listening to music. It is a room meant for freedom and reflection.

Skylight windows have been installed on both gable sides of the roof, allowing soft natural light to brighten the attic. More than 100-year-old black ropes and traces of original thatch still remain, reminding you of the long history held within this house.

Even on rainy days, the attic is surprisingly silent—offering a deep sense of calm, as if the outside world has gently disappeared.

This is a special place where the wisdom of traditional Miyama life and modern comfort come together in harmony.

You are donating to : Greennature Foundation

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