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Built along an old highway through the mountains, the town of Ōmori has remained largely unchanged since the Edo period, when the Iwami Ginzan silver mine supported a thriving economy.
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Gungendō’s Iwami Ginzan flagship store is situated along the old highway that runs through the center of Ōmori.
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Display in the entryway of the Gungendō flagship store.
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The traditional Japanese home across from the Gungendō is used as a drawing room. Matsuba deliberately left it without such modern amenities as electricity, gas, or running water.
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The front entrance to Takyō Abeke.
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The old house’s large clothing-storage room was converted into a guest room.
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On arrival, each guest receives a package of overnight items, including pajamas and a boar-bristle toothbrush.
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The common washroom.
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The soft light and deep shadows of an old Japanese house have a beauty all their own.
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From autumn to early spring, a hibachi brazier keeps the cold at bay.
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These lattice doors have been fitted with a patchwork of old glass recovered from discarded building materials.
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Traditional Japanese basketry hangs from the plaster walls of the storehouse.
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For dinner, a dizzying array of homestyle dishes featuring local and seasonal ingredients.
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Nothing says “home sweet home” like these old-fashioned musubi, made from rice cooked in the kamado. (© Takyō Abeke)
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An old thatched-roof farmhouse lends atmosphere to the headquarters of Iwami Ginzan Seikatsu Bunka Kenkyūsho.
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Matsuba Tomi (right) and her husband Daikichi with staff at the head office of Iwami Ginzan Seikatsu Bunka Kenkyūsho.
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