About Chiiori

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.

The Chiiori dream, shared by many people over the years, is to find in Japan a place in the countryside that retains its original beauty, and there to build an eco-friendly community deeply rooted in Japan’s traditional culture.

The many aims and activities at Chiiori include natural agriculture, preservation of old houses and rural life – and the creation of unique and forward-looking projects to revitalize the village. Hopefully these will serve as a beacon for other villages across Japan.

Chiiori (the house)

In 1971 Alex Kerr first discovered Iya Valley, a remote region in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. The impassably steep Iya Gorges kept the valley so secluded that over the centuries refugees from Japan's civil wars fled into Iya and settled there, notably the Heike survivors from the Genji/Heike wars of the 12th century. Even now Iya people speak a dialect with traces of ancient Heian court language.

In 1973 Alex bought an old thatched farmhouse in the hamlet of Tsurui, in East Iya. Dating from around 1720, the house is typical of old Iya construction: with wooden floors, irori (floor hearths), and massive beams and rafters – all smoked black from centuries of fires burning in the floor hearths.

The house took the name Chiiori 篪庵, which means "House of the Flute." For more on the story of the house, please see History of Chiiori.

Chiiori Trust (the dream)

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.

In 2005, Chiiori Project was officially registered as a NPO (non-profit organization) with Tokushima Prefecture.

By spring of 2007 Chiiori Project was ready for a new start. Japan is entering a new phase of environmental awareness. Meanwhile, Iya itself is transforming, having merged with several nearby towns and villages to become part of Miyoshi City. At last the time has come to implement, on a broader scale, and with real impact, the original dreams and goals dating back to 1973.

In June 2007, we re-organized and expanded the board of Chiiori Project, and changed the name of the NPO to “Chiiori Trust”. We closed down for a few months, and did extensive work on the house, which needed cleaning and repair.

In November 2007, Chiiori re-opened, managed now by the revived and revitalized Chiiori Trust.

We are now making preparations for a re-thatching of Chiiori's roof, which we aim to complete in 2010. In the meantime, we are working with Miyoshi City (the municipality that oversees Iya), Iori Co in Kyoto (a company specializing in restoring old houses) , neighbors, and local villagers in Iya to develop sustainable tourist resources in our hamlet of Tsurui and other hamlets as well. If you would like to visit, or for more information about hosting special programs at Chiiori, or for general information regarding Chiiori and Chiiori Trust, please contact us at one of the addresses provided below:

Contact information

English language inquiries: einfo@chiiori.org
Japanese language inquiries: jinfo@chiiori.org