Chiiori

Chiiori est une maison, et un rêve. Elle est située dans la vallée d'Iya, une région montagneuse mythique dans le centre de Shikoku, parfois appelée le"Tibet de Japon". En 1971, Alex Kerr découvre ces ravins qui abritent des centaines de vieilles maisons aux toits de chaume perchées sur leurs coteaux brumeux.In 1973, Alex achète une ancienne ferme dans le hameau de Tsurui. En 1999, il fonde "Le projet Chiiori" (TCP), une association qui se consacre à la redynamisation de Iya via le développement durable le tourisme, l'agriculture biologique. Les visiteurs et les bénévoles viennent y vivre au contact de la nature et partagent la vie au village. La maison a hébergé des centaines de visiteurs de tout le Japon et le monde.

" Chiiori is a house, and a dream. The dream centers on Iya Valley, the mythical mountainous region in the center of Shikoku, where Chiiori is located. Sometimes called the “Tibet of Japan,” Iya boasts Japan’s steepest ravines, and until recently preserved hundreds of old thatched houses perched on the misty hillsides.(...)In 1971 Alex Kerr first discovered Iya Valley, a remote region in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku.In 1973 Alex bought an old thatched farmhouse in the hamlet of Tsurui, in East Iya. The house took the name Chiiori 篪庵, which means "House of the Flute."In 1999, a group of us got together and founded “The Chiiori Project" (TCP), dedicated to reinvigorating Iya with sustainable tourism, organic agriculture, and giving visitors and volunteers an experience of nature and traditional village life. Since then numerous volunteers from many countries have lived at Chiiori, and the house has hosted hundreds of visitors from all over Japan and the world."
Chiiori trust
Photos & sketches via torumuramatsu's blog