Machiya Hinoki B&B

The door of time in a southern home reveals its beautiful eclectic interior

As you step through the doors, the world outside becomes a distant memory. Like a portal to an earlier time, the variety you discover inside fills you with surprise. Here you see the eclectic magnificence of a two-story building with a Japanese-Western interior -- the Japanese-Western double room with its Western touch is quiet yet splendid like a lady with dangle earrings dancing under the southern sun. The small living area and the Japanese decorations eavesdrop upon the conversation between you and your lover. Surrounded by the fragrance of tatami and Taiwanese cypress, you find a pinch of zen along the sun’s rays. You decide to sit on the leather sofa and enjoy a cup of tea with each other. Let the sun caress your faces and the charm of the room blossom.

Heading up along the terrazzo stairs, the sunshine seems to open the fresh, cozy Japanese-style room for you. Through the rooftop, you hear an airplane soar overhead. You discover an aged space divider and a delicate light fixture that compose the image of a room with many layers. The Japanese-style sleeping area at the back awaits quietly for you to have a peaceful night like a set of old-fashioned slides showing the secrets and charms of this space. This is Attic Room where you can see blue skies through a window by the desk. A ladder reaches the small yet exquisite Japanese style attic, where roll-up sleeping mats on the tatami all sit quietly in the sunlight. At night, soak yourself in the fragrant hinoki bathtub and let the warm water flow over and ease your body. Light up the dim yellow night light for a good night’s sleep.

A tatami-lined space in a Showa-style townhouse

If you prefer more compact yet equally comfortable accommodations, there’s another Showa-style townhouse just a few blocks away. Visiting the Tatami Room is like traveling to a neighbor’s house in a narrow Kyoto alleyway. The gorgeous vintage lamp and the leather sofa are the visual focus of the space. The flooring on the ground floor is tatami embellished with flower arrangements, creating an enchanting atmosphere. Upstairs lies another room with a bamboo curtain opened half way to allow the warming sun into the room. The air is permeated with the fragrance of rush fiber from the mats. Both the living and sleeping areas are laid out with tatami mats of greenish yellow rush stalks and black fabric seams. There’s a light brown Japanese tea table and a couple of legless floor chairs in the living area. The pillar made of Taiwanse fir in the middle of the wall resonates with the calligraphic work of the Chinese character for “tranquility” hanging on the wall and the wooden-framed shoji paper sliding door.

At night, you slip out of your travel outfit and are ready for a comforting hot bath. Afterwards, you put on the Japanese bathrobe with indigo-colored patterns and the decorative headwear provided by the guesthouse, and pick up a Japanese paper hand fan, or a wooden bowl, teapot or tea cup from the Japanese tea table. Everything is easy and natural which makes you feel that you have resided here for a long time already.

A space is a metaphor for a mistress, concealing all the details of design

Lee, the owner of Machiya Hinoki B&B, created a Kyoto-style Japanese townhouse B&B, Hisato-An, in Tainan City in 2015. Over time, his mindset has changed and he decided to present a more mature work to travelers -- a Japanese-Western eclectic style B&B, or Machiya Hinoki B&B. With a smile on his face, he says, “if Hisato-An is a girl in traditional Japanese kimono, then Machiya Hinoki would be a mistress in a fashionable skirt.” Both B&Bs embody the grace of Japanese style but Machiya Hinoki B&B embraces a capricious and selfish character, and for that, carries an effortless charm.

Before leaving, you gently wipe off some of the dust slowly accumulating on the wooden window frame and watch the breeze carry it away in the sunlight. You recall the memorable moments spent here and decide to store them in this Showa-style time machine, hiding in the narrow alleyways of Tainan City.