One Drop Water Memorial Museum Introduction
The origin of the name "Itteki Memorial House": It is named to commemorate Mr. Suishang Mian, the son of the original builder Suishang Juezhi, who inherited the Zen Buddhism philosophy of "Itteki" from Japan, emphasizing the importance of cherishing all resources. Even something as seemingly insignificant as a drop of water should be fully utilized. Another reason for the name is to express gratitude to all the hardworking volunteers involved in the relocation process. Through their dedicated actions, they conveyed the spirit of selfless contribution. Even as small as a drop of water, it can gather energy to complete this challenging international relocation project, hence the name "Itteki Memorial House." The passionate and selfless journey of the international relocation: The house was relocated from a wooden building in Ôi Town, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, known as Tamsui Itteki Memorial House, which was built around 1915. This traditional Japanese house symbolizes the friendship between the Japanese people and the Taiwanese, born from the connection of the Hanshin and the 921 earthquakes. Through the efforts of many dedicated individuals from both Taiwan and Japan, the dismantling began in 2005 and the reconstruction was completed in December 2009, taking approximately five years, involving multiple moves, and covering a distance of over 3,000 kilometers, bringing it from Japan to Taiwan. The relocation not only serves as a platform for Taiwan-Japan exchange but also stands as a spiritual bastion for community building among people from different countries. Inside the house, there are also the "Suishang Mian Library" and "Chen Shun-Chin Library" to promote modern literary exchanges between Taiwan and Japan. Appreciating the vocabulary of century-old traditional house architecture: This ancient house, personally constructed by the Japanese literary master Suishang Mian's father Suishang Juezhi, contains over 600 beams and columns without a single nail used, showcasing more than 20 traditional joint techniques that represent the pinnacle of wooden architecture. The large center pillar in the house is the third column counted from the outside, the longest and also connecting the most beams, which in Japanese culture symbolizes the role of the head of the family. The "doma" (the top of the pillar) is a sort of identification card for the old house, covered with a red cloth and inscribed with the year of construction and the name of the builder. Additionally, it is entwined with a pair of straw sandals cut when the beam was raised, symbolizing a settlement and no longer relocating, which is both interesting and thought-provoking.
