One Drop Water Memorial Introduction
The origin of the name of the Itteki Memorial House: It is named to commemorate Mr. Minoru Suishō, the son of the original builder Suishō Kakuzō, who inherited the Zen Buddhist philosophy of Master Taki Suisui from Japan, valuing the significance of cherishing all resources. Even a drop of water, however insignificant, should be utilized to its fullest; furthermore, it expresses gratitude for all the volunteers who contributed their labor during the relocation process. Their tangible actions conveyed the spirit of selfless dedication, as even something as small as a drop of water can gather energy to accomplish this challenging international relocation project, hence the name "Itteki Memorial House." The passionate and selfless international relocation journey: The house was relocated from a wooden building in Ōi Town, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, built in 1915 as a traditional Japanese folk house. It originated from the friendship between the people of Japan and Taiwan, connected through the Hanshin and the 921 earthquakes. Through the efforts of many dedicated individuals from both Taiwan and Japan, the dismantling began in 2005 and was completed in December 2009, taking around five years and involving multiple transfers across a journey of over 3,000 kilometers, from Japan to Taiwan. Beyond serving as a platform for Taiwan-Japan exchange, the relocation is also a spiritual stronghold for community building among people from different nations. Inside the house, there are the "Minoru Suishō Library" and the "Chen Shun-Chin Library" to promote modern literary exchanges between Taiwan and Japan. Delving into the lexicon of century-old folk house architecture: This folk house, hand-built by the Japanese literary master Minoru Suishō's father, Suishō Kakuzō, features over six hundred beams and columns that did not use a single nail, showcasing more than 20 types of mortise and tenon joints, epitomizing the pinnacle of wooden building culture. The central large black column, counted as the third beam from outside the entrance, is the longest and connects the most horizontal beams. In Japanese culture, it represents the father figure of the household, and the "Tōfuda" at the top of the column serves as proof of the folk house's identity. It is a wooden plaque wrapped in red cloth that records the year's construction and the name of the builder (the master). Wrapped around the red cloth is a pair of traditional sandals cut off upon completion, symbolizing the intent to take root and not to relocate again, a fascinating and thought-provoking aspect of the structure.
