Wonderful looking place, old homes should never be museums, they need living spirits to thrive. Glad to see the family took the steps to save and put this one to new use. Sorry to hear the local government did what governments do best, drag their feet. :D Enjoy your weekend, looks like the fence project will be an interesting one. Charles
Thanks Charles, seems like a few things had to fall into place for this to get done. I imagine there are quite a few projects that have stalled or never got started due to a lack of will somewhere along the chain. The fence project will be interesting but a lot more things to do first!
Absolutely beautiful buildings and garden. I love the gates and the wall. The woven cedar ceiling is drool worthy!! Getting away from it all sounds so nice! Glad to see a beautiful estate brought back and to make memories again. Thank you so much for these videos! Cheers!!
I think this is about the fourth time I've seen Iizukatei featured online and it always looks great! It was really interesting to hear Natalie give a bit more background information about the property and herself, too. And I'm curious to see where you'll be building a wooden wall in your garden!
I’ll link the others above. I deliberately avoided watching the others as wanted to do my own thing, and not be influenced by other videos. I may watch them now! By the way I wish I could build a big gate somewhere too…
Beautiful property and neighborhood. The ornamental window , ceiling, and screens design are very unique. They did a great job converting the place into a hotel. I love that it's now a cultural heritage building. Best way to preserve history.
I absolutely love your choice of filming/editing for this episode. Instead of just following her around the property and asking questions with the camera pointing at both of you, you instead incorporated the voice over as you showed us the place and the surroundings. A lot of youtubers do not understand how effective this method is. Thank you!
I had already been wowed by this house>hotel conversion when watching the video by the Tabieats guys when they stayed a few months ago. I was pleased to experience a very different tour coming to it the second time around.
I’m so glad you took the time to show this place as many foreigners visiting Japan can have the opportunity to look for it. I’m fascinating with the structure, so unique. As you said, the family must be so proud to see the legacy of what was once a family place. Amazing! Greetings from Canada
What a lovely video! I love the idea of making a hotel out of the old house and have people stay there instead of just leaving it to fall apart over time. And the family that used to own it can still visit, it's a win/win!
Japan architectural, heritage, their interior design and even food and everything. Their work is fine, delicate and with lots of thoughts in it. These are always my favorites and I am a big fan as i am in this profession before. East meet west design is the trend but it's last. Minimalist and zen gives you a peace of mind out from busy city vibe. In fact the pebble stone with cement or cracked glass tiles with cement for bathroom or the entrance ,not only easy to diy but also stands out away from the horizontal and vertical application of wood strips on the wall or doors and windows.
Unglaublich schön. Ich bin sehr bewegt. Ich kann es für mich kaum in Worte fassen. Allein beim anschauen kamen mir die Tränen.... Ich hoffe eines Tages Japan besuchen zu können. Dann möchte ich unbedingt diesen Ort selber sehen...
I found the garden gorgeous and love that the way it is an integral part of the residence whether standing on inside or the outside of the new windows.
I stayed at a traditional Inn 1979. I slept on futons and they were amazing, they are not like the ones made here in the States which are terrible. The buildings were absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for bringing us along. I truly miss Japan.
I enjoy your Videos so much. So nice to see you branch out with new and " other" content. So interesting. I am so in love with Japan. Thank you for all the fun and more than that , interesting videos. Please Keep them coming!
There's something so relaxing and picturesque about Japan. I wish I could visit to enjoy the countryside. Thanks for this visit to the boutique hotel. Do they have a on site kitchen that makes the set meals or do they farm it all out. The meal looked so delicious. Yum. Really loving these extra videos of you doing thing not related to your own renos at home. That's not to say I don't love your reno vids . Thanks for all the ones you've upped/.
Beautiful. I admire their patience with the local government. And then COVID hit. Darn. All and the gate and fence are stunning, made without one screw to withhold strong winds. That garden is indeed an example for you, the grass always looks greener elsewhere, Tokyo Llama XD Do you have a bamboo/stone dripping feature in your garden? Thanks for showing us
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to see this beautiful place. I was instantly struck as you walked around by the beautiful fence that had as much attention to detail as the buildings. The wood was beautiful. I also really liked the side gate. Inside some of the ceilings were also very beautiful. I love the care taken with detail, no fuss but just quality every direction you look and so harmonious. I really did enjoy watching this video very much.
Hard to believe any family could leave such a beautiful complex as this, although I understand the changing fortunes. I'm happy to know that this property has historical preservation societty protections. So lovely. Thank you.
That is lovely. Thanks so much for showing this hotel. I wish so that I could someday see it in person. What a wonderful way to preserve and share such a beautiful piece of history.
Natalie is a charm. Seen her in other vids. I like these occasional side trips. Nice vignette of rescued/repurposed housing. Wonderful the original owners saw fit to hand it off for a new existence. Looking forward to see if/how you adopt anything garden related to your home. Thanks for the ride along.
Wow. You're home must bring you so much pride. This place is beautiful but you're home is a private residence; the work you've done is exceptional. That is what I took from this video. Also provides tourists the experience! 💗🙏💗
So truly grateful I found your utube from watching sundai what a stunning place it’s on my list to visit warms my heart there bringing places like this back to life for others to enjoy
What a wonderful repurposing of an old family home/estate! It's always striking how uncomfortable it must have been in winter without modifications to insulation and double glazing. You can understand why so many Japanese were attracted to easier living in modern buildings. That woven ceiling was just gorgeous btw, still so fresh looking! And the tiles at the entry, in that teal colour you have?, are very practical but still in keeping with the traditional. And the fencing and gate gives a sense of not just enclosure and privacy, but it adds to the archecture of the buildings by mimicking the architectural style in how it's constructed. The peace and seclusion becomes complete. The garden is very beautiful and restful, as it's intended to be. And another Aussie! I had to laugh a little at the connection with Byron Bay, but I suppose Natalie has a point - things like being used to distance from shops and similarities with nature are probably the most obvious everyday familiarities which make living/working there easier than, say, a multi-storied building in Tokyo. It's so good Natalie has found her niche in life for now. My bucket list is tucked away these days (I have an elderly mother I can't leave), but if it was active I would love to visit a hotel like this. I suppose this is added, because the dreams do keep us going somehow, don't they? What a great getaway for you and the family, with such strong notes of familiarity for your family too. What is so striking is that over 100 years of difference in time shows how powerful traditional living, architecture and connection to nature through the garden can be in Japan. If all these old buildings are repurposed rather than destroyed, often just through neglect, it keeps the traditional alive for generations to come. The key for such a still traditional society is not to be a living museum but to create new ways which invites some migration too so the birthrate can increase! There is something for the Japanese to think on ;) So we have some fencing and possibly a gate in the future? Bring it on! It would look fantastic at your place with notes of Edo estate 😅😊
Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Yes, I think there needs to be some compromise on renovating old houses. Living “as it was” might suit a few people but modern conveniences (and warmth!) are necessary to encourage more people to take up houses like this.
@@TokyoLlama I didn't realise what an epistle that was. But Japan as a living museum is a real problem. It's not polite to talk about it I know, but it makes me think of Easter Island. There was the moment when someone had to cut down the last tree. Unless there is some migration this will be Japan's problem in the future (in quite a while, but a declining population will become more of "a thing"). The houses are emblematic aren't they? So you have already added to the solution positively - well, I think so anyway. Onward and upward ☺️
I don't know if I'll ever have the pleasure of visiting Iizukatei myself but I feel refreshed just watching the video! Beautifully shot and narrated, thank you so much!
This was a great video - the hotel was so beautiful! The fence immediately caught my eye too, and I'd be super excited to see videos about you taking that on for your garden.
At first I thought that this is your house. It is not but I think that your home has many of the historical details and I am looking forward to seeing your fence. Thanks for posting this beautiful place Llama.
Saw this on other video and here I am clicking it again on yours. Really love this place. So beautiful and the feeling it gave is pleasant, peaceful and nostalgic. And the food, so beautiful and who can say no to that. 💗💗💗
I truly love all your your videos, thank you for sharing this beautiful place and its architecture. I especially enjoy you sharing your woodworking. Have a great week ahead!
