A nostalgic coloring page of a thatched-roof farmhouse veiled in rain. The thick layers of kaya (susuki grass) packed across the roof, the wet stone paving, and the surrounding greenery bring back a quintessential Japanese landscape (genfukei). It’s a page to color slowly, recalling the scenery of a childhood hometown.
🗣 Conversation Starters — for care activities and family time
“Have you ever lived in, or seen, a thatched-roof house?”
“During the rainy season, how did you spend rainy days indoors?”
“What was your childhood home like? Tell us about the garden and the scenery around it.”
How is a thatched roof built?
A thatched (kayabuki) roof is made by bundling grasses such as cogon grass, sedge, and susuki (Japanese pampas grass), stacking the bundles, and fixing them with rope and bamboo. The thatch layer can be 50 cm to 1 m thick, providing insulation and waterproofing — a fine building technique that keeps the house cool in summer and warm in winter.
Do thatched-roof houses still exist today?
Yes. Thatched farmhouses remain throughout Japan, including the gassho-style houses of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama in Gifu and Toyama Prefectures (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Their numbers have fallen due to a shortage of craftspeople and high upkeep costs, so communities now run preservation efforts. Some thatched houses are still lived in today.
How is a thatched roof re-thatched?
About once every 25–30 years, craftspeople gather to re-thatch the roof (fukikae). It is a major undertaking: the old thatch is removed, fresh bundles are stacked on top, and the surface is beaten smooth with wooden mallets. In the past this was done through yui, a culture of mutual cooperation across the whole village.
