Watanabe Komuten's Custom-built "House of Natural Wood" Wins Both "Jury's Award" and "Excellence Award" at House of the Year 2025

Watanabe Komuten Co., Ltd. (President: Hitoshi Watanabe, Head Office: Tobishima Village, Ama-gun, Aichi Prefecture) (https://www.watanabekomu.co.jp/), a locally-rooted company since its founding in 1907, operates a comprehensive construction business in a wide range of fields, from custom-built houses to traditional shrine and temple architecture, public building construction, and renovations. Notably, the company constructed the "Seimei-den" at Ueno Tenmangu Shrine and the "Seiu-tei" tea house in Shirotori Garden, the venue for the World Design Exposition, proving its technical capabilities and receiving the honor of the Japan Art Academy Prize.

We are pleased to announce that Watanabe Komuten's custom-built house "Tennen no Ki no Ie" (House of Natural Wood) has won both the "Jury's Award" and the "Excellence Award" in the "House of the Year 2025" award system sponsored by the Japan Center for Area Development and Research.

The award ceremony was held on May 7, 2026, at the Kazan Kaikan in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

- Terao Jury's Award (Certificate)
- Excellence Award (Certificate)

Watanabe Komuten's "House of Natural Wood" is committed to the idea that Japanese houses should be built with wood grown in Japan, using natural "Tono Hinoki" cypress from Higashi-Shirakawa Village for its structural framework. The interior also makes abundant use of natural wood, creating a design that capitalizes on the materials. Furthermore, by making the building highly airtight and insulated and introducing whole-house air conditioning, residents can live comfortably throughout the year.

We believe this dual award is a recognition of our company's technical capabilities in homebuilding and our environmentally conscious initiatives. We will continue to actively strengthen our technical capabilities and implement plans that promote local production for local consumption and environmental consideration.

"House of the Year" is an award system that recognizes outstanding houses that contribute to total energy saving and CO2 reduction by considering the building envelope and equipment as an integrated unit. Judging is conducted fairly, neutrally, and rigorously by a judging committee composed of academic experts.

List of "House of the Year 2025" Winners
https://jcadr-or-jp-archive.jcadr.org/HOYE/house-2025top_result.html