Charming Japanese Residence Has a Green Roofed Garage Perfect for A Car Hobbyist

This simple, yet beautifully designed residence near Wakayama, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/japan">Japan</a> is full of spirt and has a deep connection with the surrounding rice fields. Built for a sushi chef, who is also a car hobbyist, the home is perfectly suited to the man's needs for entertaining and working on his cars. At the heart of his home is a two car garage topped with a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/green-roof">green roof</a> and a lovely courtyard visible from every room in the house. The Kishigawa Residence was designed by <a href="http://www.mma-design.com/" target="_blank">Architect &amp; Associates Mitsutomo Matsunami</a> and completed in the spring of 2011.

Organized in a U shape around the courtyard and projected by the garage on the side facing the road, the inhabitants enjoy a peaceful atmosphere.

Set next to a rice field, the home enjoys views out over farmland and is very privately situated.

Visitors approach via a stone pathway into the courtyard into the ground-level connecting space called Doma.

There is no traditional entrance hall and the friends of the owner make frequent stops for visits, which are facilitated with the very open entrance.

Large sliding doors in the living room and bedrooms look out through the courtyard to the garage open the space to the outdoors and encourage natural breezes to flow through the space.

The home, while very modestly sized at 533.7 sq ft (49.58 sq m), enjoys two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, laundry, storage area and a large open living room.

One of the owner's greatest wishes was to have an Irori (traditional Japanese open hearth), which is placed in the living room with views out over the rice fields.

The small kitchen is set up with counters on either side.

A bathroom features a sunken tub inside the shower room.

Sliding doors in the bedroom open the space up to natural ventilation.

Besides natural ventilation and the small space living, this Japanese home features a large two car open garage with vegetated roof. This thick green roof keeps the space insulated against the sun and soaks up rainwater.