Our house has over 100 years of history. It was once a fertilizer wholesaler but for a long time no one was living in it. We rented one of the “Niken-Nagaya” (terraced houses in a row), and with a great help of many friends, we transformed it into a guesthouse. We tried to leave the structures as is, and we reused and recycled what was in the house. For example, old tatami mats were used as insulation inside the wall, the wooden boards in Doma (earthen floor) became the floor, etc. We held various workshops to insulate the house, floor, plaster, tile, install lights, etc. So many people helped us along the way.

In our house, you will find many stories and history such as an old telephone box, box-using stairs, a huge wooden ceiling, fertilizer wholesaler shop sign, etc. We asked a Shinto priest to come and enshrine God in our home shrine and two Inari (God of Harvest) shrines. Our house is also used as a gathering place and opens its doors to the public during the Kawagoe Festival. Chabudai has a patio/backyard.

There will be exciting things happening there! A small hut in the backyard is a studio/shop of crafted eyeglasses "SAWAGUCHI FRAMEWORKS". Farther back, there is Mamazame Farm’s vegetable patch. We have built a wood deck for café time.

Chabudai is a place where various people, things, and events come together. This is a record of our journey and thoughts since December 2016, before we opened.