In the Central Hokkaido town of Atsuma, relocation and renovation work is currently progressing on the “Former Yamaguchi House”, an old folk house in the town, after initially being held back due to the impact of the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake. Completion is slated for the spring of 2022. A general incorporated association in Atsuma plans to open a restaurant and residential inn in the building and feature local foods in its menu.

This is the second Atsuma old folk house renovation project aiming to preserve and use traditional residences as an important regional resource for teaching about farm village culture, following the “Former Hatashima House” that was revived as a bakery in town in 2015.

The Former Yamaguchi House was originally constructed in 1908. After receiving the house as an endowment from the owner, the Atsuma town government decided to allocate usage of the house to a major restaurant company and disassembled it. Subsequently, relocation and renovation work was scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2018 in Atsuma. However, the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake occurred in September of that same year, forcing the work to be suspended.

The major restaurant company backed out of the project. Thus, this summer, the Atsuma town government renewed public calls for a business to use the building. The town ultimately decided to allocate usage to the general incorporated association “Open Town Atsuma”, established last year by venture enterprises in the town with the goal of expanding the Atsuma related population.

The new facility uses about 50% of the original material, and is a single-story wooden construction of approximately 190 square meters. Open Town Atsuma plans to operate a restaurant offering locally sourced foods and a residential inn option as well. Work started in September 2021, with a target completion of March 2022 and a business launch in May.

Open Town Atsuma Administrative Officer Nonomiya Hideki commented, “We want to create a convenient hub for people who visit Atsuma to do things like surfing and motorcycle touring and link that to growth in the related population.” The Town Development Promotion Office in the municipal government also expressed hope, “for this to become a new point of interaction between townspeople and tourists.”