Crowds make me edgy so I avoid them as much as possible. This is an issue when visiting world-famous sights; I endure the hordes but struggle after an hour or so.
Imagine my joy then when coming upon this beautiful little museum down an almost deserted side street after the crowded Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden in Nara, Japan
Irie Taikichi made his career photographing the historic temples and statues of Nara where he was born. He had gone to Osaka to work as a commercial photographer then, after his home was destroyed by bombing in 1945, he returned and spent the rest of his life in this house. It was turned into a museum after his death in 1992.
This was my first experience of entering a traditional wooden Japanese house.
There was an immediate sense of calm. The proportions, surfaces and even the quality of sound all contributed to a feeling of calm.
One is surrounded by greenery, mainly borrowed scenery from the park beyond as the actual garden is very small.
I really needed this haven of tranquillity and will always be grateful that we stumbled across it so unexpectedly.
Irie even built a fully-functioning darkroom in a hut away from the house with everything needed for his work.
