New Case Study: “Obara Mountain Cottage,” a Dovetail Log Home in Toyako

We have added a new case study featuring Obara Sanso (Obara Mountain Cottage), a dovetail log home in Takarada, Toyako, Hokkaido.

Completed in 1994 as a vacation home, Obara Mountain Cottage stands on an elevated site overlooking the rural landscape of Toyako, with Lake Toya, Nakajima Island, and the mountains beyond the opposite shore forming a panoramic backdrop.

The home was originally built as a compact single-story retreat. As the years passed, however, the owners wanted to welcome more family members and friends and share the spectacular views of Lake Toya with them. A loft and an additional living room were therefore added to create more space for guests and gatherings.

The exterior walls are constructed from hand-hewn square logs, with the irregular texture and tool marks characteristic of traditional hand craftsmanship. Light-colored chinking defines each individual log and creates the strong horizontal lines that give a dovetail log home its distinctive appearance. More than 30 years after completion, the timber has developed a deeper, richer tone, revealing the character that only solid wood can acquire with age.

At the heart of the interior is the kitchen and dining area, where hand-hewn log walls meet the substantial exposed timber structure supporting the later-added loft. Although these spaces were created at different stages in the home’s history, they blend naturally together. A Japanese-style tatami room and bedrooms on both the ground floor and loft level provide comfortable accommodation for family and guests.

The living room added on the lake side features large windows and sliding glass doors that open the interior toward the surrounding landscape. From here, guests can look across the fields toward Lake Toya and spend time together while enjoying the changing scenery. It has become one of the most inviting spaces in the house—and arguably the best seat from which to appreciate its remarkable setting.

What began as a modest vacation home has gradually evolved into a place designed to share the beauty of Lake Toya with more people. Explore the full story of Obara Mountain Cottage and more than three decades of life in this dovetail log home, including floor plans, project details, and exterior and interior photographs.