Karl Bengs

Architectural designer. Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1942. First traveled to Japan in 1966 to study karate and became fond of the country’s traditional, wooden houses. Began importing Japanese homes and parts into Germany to “revive” them there. In 1993, visited the depopulated village of Taketokoro in Niigata Prefecture and purchased a thatched, Edo-period kominka, where he now lives. Has renovated 50 such traditional homes around the country, including a former inn that now serves as his office. Actively communicates the appeal of old, Japanese-style homes and the satoyama lifestyle, for which he and his wife in 2017 were awarded the Grand Prize of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Hometown Development. https://karl-bengs.jp/english/p