The Minka House was erected in the Bamboo Garden at Kew in 2001. The Japan Minka Reuse and Recycle Association (JMRA) acquired the house, which was originally built in 1900 on the outskirts of Okazaki City, and donated it to Kew as part of their ‘Japan 2001’ festival. The Minka was subsequently dismantled and shipped to the UK. Construction began on 7th May 2001, with experienced Japanese carpenters reinstating the intricate joints that are formed without the use of iron nails. A team of British craftsmen, who had previously worked on the Globe Theatre in London then assembled the mud wall panels and thatched the roof with Norfolk reeds and wheat straw on a grid of bamboo laths. Work was completed in November 2001.

MAA was asked to undertake a survey in February 2021 to assess the condition of the building and recommend any necessary repairs.