Renovation Story | Two old houses in Ise, before and after

Renovation Story

How two long-empty old houses in Ise became guesthouses. What we kept, and what we changed.

1920The year Minato was built
30+ yearsHow long Ryo stood empty
2 housesRenovated together, opened in July 2026

Age is character worth keeping

We kept what deserved to be passed on: beams, sliding doors, a round window, garden stones. We renewed only what comfort requires, such as the bathrooms, kitchens, floors and walls.

Ise-Kawasaki

Ise-Kawasaki -湊- Minato

A 1920 townhouse that was once a vinegar wholesaler

A round window, hidden behind the wall

Tap the buttons to see the house before and during renovation

When we stripped away the wood paneling, we found a round window that had been hidden for years. We built the main room around it.

What we kept: The round window, beams and pillars
What we changed: Walls, flooring (wood to tatami), lighting

A mossy courtyard becomes an open-air bath

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We kept the garden stones and the stone lantern in the long-neglected courtyard, and added a wooden deck and a bathtub.

What we kept: Garden stones and the stone lantern
What we changed: Wooden deck, bathtub, lighting

The old staircase stays, the room turns to tatami

Before renovation: the room with the staircase

After renovation: the room with the staircase

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We replaced the wooden flooring with tatami and kept the original staircase as a feature of the room.

What we kept: The staircase and beams
What we changed: Flooring (wood to tatami), walls

Even the toilet room, transformed

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We removed the old sink and toilet and rebuilt the room, keeping the windows and the tiles on the lower walls.

What we kept: Windows and wall tiles
What we changed: Sink, toilet, floor, walls

See more before and after photos (6)

Entrance

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Bedroom

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Tatami room with a round window

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Upstairs veranda corridor

Before renovation: the upstairs corridor

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Staircase

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Ground-floor corridor (former kitchen)

Before renovation: the ground-floor corridor

During renovation: the ground-floor corridor

After renovation: the ground-floor corridor

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Note: the before and after photos were taken from opposite directions.

You can stay here.

See Minato and book

Ise-Asama

Ise-Asama -稜- Ryo

A house at the foot of Mt. Asama, empty for over 30 years

From a “For Sale” sign to a guesthouse entrance

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The entrance of a house that was once up for sale now carries the guesthouse’s noren curtain.

What we kept: The entrance and the shape of the house
What we changed: Exterior walls, lighting, noren curtain

Down to the floor joists, and built back up

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We rebuilt the floor from the joists up and turned the space into a large tatami room.

What we kept: Beams, pillars and shoji screens
What we changed: Floor structure, tatami, walls

The passage under the stairs becomes a bathroom

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We turned a dark passage under the stairs into a semi-open-air bathroom looking out on a bamboo fence.

What we kept: The building’s frame
What we changed: A new bathroom, large windows, floor

A bright new kitchen

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We kept the windows where they were, renewed the walls and floor, and installed a new kitchen.

What we kept: Window and passage layout
What we changed: Kitchen, walls, floor

See more before and after photos (6)

From under the stairs to the bathroom (portrait)

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Ground-floor living room

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Bedroom

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Corridor

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Exterior (day to night)

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Yard

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You can stay here.

See Ryo and book