Tuesday Talk

August 4, 2026

12:00PM – 1:00PM

Japanese Kominka:

Preserving Traditional Architecture In Japan and Beyond

Join us for a special Tuesday Talk on August 4, 2026, exploring the preservation, relocation, and continued life of traditional Japanese kominka homes.

Presenters Andrea Carlson of Kominka Collective and architect Koji Toda of Toda Komuten will share insights into the craftsmanship, cultural history, and restoration of these historic wooden structures, along with ongoing efforts to preserve traditional Japanese building knowledge through international collaboration and cultural exchange.

This presentation will also highlight the unique connection to Wallowa County, which is home to the first and only completed residential Kominka in the United States.

About Kominka Collective: 

Kominka Collective is a Japan-based nonprofit organization (一般社団法人) dedicated to the preservation, study, and responsible reuse of traditional Japanese architecture. Working with craftspeople, communities, cultural institutions, and international partners, the organization supports the continued life of traditional structures and the knowledge, skills, and ways of life connected to them.

The Collective works closely with Toda Komuten, a fifth-generation design-build company with deep roots in traditional Japanese construction. For three generations, Toda Komuten built kominka and other traditional structures across Japan, and for the past two generations has been actively engaged in their protection, preservation, restoration, and careful relocation. Their expertise in traditional carpentry, temple and shrine construction, and architectural preservation is central to many of the Collective’s projects and educational initiatives.

Kominka Collective also collaborates with Kiyomi Koike and Bill Oliver of Zen House Kominka in Enterprise on a variety of events, gatherings, and cultural programs throughout Oregon related to traditional Japanese architecture, craft, and cultural exchange.

Kominka Collective’s work includes in-place preservation and stewardship of historic structures, the careful relocation and reconstruction of endangered kominka, the reuse of reclaimed materials, and research and documentation related to traditional building practices and cultural heritage. The organization also develops workshops, cultural programs, architectural study tours, fellowships, and gatherings within traditional structures, creating opportunities for hands-on learning, cross-cultural exchange, and dialogue around architecture, craft, rural revitalization, and community life.

Through collaborations in Japan and overseas, Kominka Collective seeks to support the continued relevance of traditional Japanese architecture in contemporary cultural contexts while helping pass traditional building arts and knowledge on to future generations.

Koji Toda:
@todasanchi
Koji Toda oversees the traditional work of Toda Komuten, a family-run design-build company in Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture with roots in the Taishō era and a long tradition of wooden architecture. He has been deeply involved in preservation efforts for many years, coordinating the relocation and renewal of endangered structures for use in Japanese gardens, retreat centers, cultural facilities, and private homes in Japan and abroad. Koji also travels internationally to offer workshops and share traditional building knowledge. He is slated to join the board of the forthcoming U.S. sister nonprofit to the Kominka Collective, supporting international exchange and the stewardship of Japan’s architectural heritage. Koji is an active member of the Japan Kominka Association.

Andrea Carlson:
@kominkacollective
Andrea Carlson is one of the founders of the Kominka Collective, a Japan-based non-profit dedicated to preserving and revitalizing traditional Japanese architecture in partnership with Toda Komuten. The Kominka Collective supports in-place preservation, coordinates the relocation and reuse of endangered kominka and other traditional structures, and helps integrate reclaimed materials into both new and existing buildings. Its work also encompasses educational programs, artisan-led workshops, cultural exchange activities, research and documentation, and twice-yearly architectural study tours with the Timber Framers Guild, as well as hostingan annual Cultural Heritage Fellow. Andrea also serves as Director of Programs and Initiatives at the Minka Preservation Society in Japan.