-曳家岡本-

Japanese traditional building relocation method "HIKIYA" undertakes tilted houses caused by the earthquakes

There are craftsmans called Hikiya, specialized in deconstructing, rebuilding and moving houses. There were many demands for house movers (HIKIYA) for traditional Japanese style houses before. They move and deconstruct old houses to the side and build new houses, or they had demands on moving houses in need of making new roads. However, demands didn't last long due to changing life style with new european style houses, people rather build new houses instead of fixing them. Many HIKIYA changed their jobs along with the era.

Besides from the meltdown in Fukushima, there were cracks that run down roads, houses tilt to one side and manhole covers protrude a meter into the air in a town best known for being home to the Tokyo Disney Resort. Such scenes of the aftermath of the massive March 11th earthquake can be seen in cities and towns throughout the Kanto region. The liquefaction seen over wide areas along Tokyo Bay as well.

All HIKIYA(not many) left in Japan were called in to help with those tilted houses and buildings.

Since HIKIYA can also undertake this kind of straightening of the frame of a houses, they can easily correct a degree of inclination of the structural frame that ordinary carpenters would regard as hopeless, we have to come to appreciate their true worth in the aftermath of this earthquake.

Naoya Okamoto (52) is from Kochi (west side of Japan) succeed all about HIKIYA from his father, he is the second generation.

Since he was living in the countryside, there were not many jobs as HIKIYA. He was struggling.
He had basically no jobs, but he decided to make his friend to import an american popcorn machine and selling caramel popcorn in some shopping centers to live life.

He was called in 2 weeks later from the mayer of CHIBA where major liquefaction Damage happened. 9000 houses were tilted or half sinked into the ground.

Mayer Matsuzaki told Okamoto "April 15th life line will recover, please come to Urayasu Chiba. We need to help these people with tilted houses. We need your HIKIYA's profession"

After 1 year and 10 month in the area fixing the titled houses, Okamoto is asked to help people from many other locations where they suffered from the earthquake as well. He started to go help for Miyagi prefecture where is more damaged by the tsunami and many earthquakes even after March 11th.

Even though Okamoto wants to help, there is not enough budget to fix the houses from the community, and even cost more to transfer materials to Tohoku area compare to Chiba prefecture.

Okamoto says "If there is some company can help us cover these costs, we can help more people and make the costs cheaper for them to fix their houses."

His action is now got into be in the news and even in the Manga comics.
He appears as his name in the ”Kowashiya Gen” as semi regular character now.

Some Video about Okamoto and liquefaction damages

http://vimeo.com/41961005

Status of Recovery and Current Problems in Three Disaster-hit Prefectures

English_summary.pdf

Liquefaction fluidization phenomena

Okamoto is on Manga

fix and stabilize one of the oldest temple

Okamoto was invited to fix and stabilize one of the oldest temple