Core Kyoto

Old Building Materials: The Ancient Capital's Culture of Recycling

Kyoto has many shrines, temples and traditional structures, spurring people to place special value on old building materials over the centuries. After the Middle Ages, merchants at the center of commerce and industry were thrifty in using old lumber in their townhouse-style residences. Even in modern times, old fittings and timber are reused and repurposed. Discover the spirit of perpetuity through the passion of artisans and craftsmen as they use old wood to give birth to a new aesthetic.