Who Are We?

A supplier of building materials made from natural ingredients, Mutenka House is an offshoot of Akita Housing Corp., established in 1972 as a design and construction company of custom-built houses, funded by a public function affiliated with Hyogo Prefecture of Japan. Since its establishment, Mutenka House has acquired a favorable reputation in Japan as a unique provider of a healthy and natural alternatives to the typical chemical-laden architectural supply. We would now like to introduce Mutenka House for the first time abroad.

Mutenka House developer Kenji Akita

How Did the Idea of Mutenka House Come About? As a youth, I had wanted to become a botanist, so I studied and learned all I could about plants. During my studies I discovered that the Japanese andromeda, Japanese cinnamon, and persimmon tannin have an insect repelling effect. After starting my architecture firm, I realized that my knowledge about plants was very practical and helpful in the housing business. I myself still use persimmon tannin or leaves as an insect repellant. Combining what I knew about the advantages of the European stone roof, with my development of a new way of tiling and my original interest in plants studies, Mutenka House was thus developed. We believe no other company uses natural materials or challenges itself with the utilization of new materials (such as Dendrolite) to the extent Mutenka House does.

Sick House Syndrome Comes All of a Sudden

Sick House Syndrome, a condition which is believed to be caused by chemical substances emitted from building materials, has recently become a serious health problem for many people. The most common symptoms include eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches and fatigue. Sick House Syndrome affects individuals differently because everyone has different tolerance levels. Symptoms will suddenly appear when the degree of exposure to certain chemicals has reached or exceeded one's own tolerance level. Prolonged exposure at these levels is believed to result in a more serious, severely debilitating disease called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (MCS).

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome is used to describe a condition where gradually a wider variety and lesser quantity of chemicals can trigger an adverse reaction. Once an individual has become sensitized from the initial prolonged exposure to toxins, reactions caused by exposure to other chemicals such as perfume, hair spray, and deodorant can interfere with daily life and work.

Healthful Houses and the Use of Natural Alternatives to Chemical Glue Modern housing industry has closed its eyes to the common-sense notion of not using materials which are detrimental to one's health. In order to mass-produce building materials of consistent quality and lower cost, they use chemicals which are known to cause the Sick House Syndrome. A primary source of the problem is believed to be the chemical glue contained in most of the building adhesives. Through our extensive research, we were able to build natural houses, using chemical-free, natural building materials, to the maximum extent possible. For example, we use rice glue and hide glue (made from animal bones and hide) as alternatives to chemical glues. Instead of troubled vinyl cloth, we have developed a Japanese plaster finish method, which is also consistent with our non-chemical method for building houses.