Traditional Property Care · ¥28,000
Care that understands the materials it's working with.
Five hours shaped for machiya properties and older family homes — where tatami, paper screens, lacquered fittings and wooden thresholds require a different approach entirely from modern surfaces.
01 — What this session delivers
A traditional property cleaned in a way that doesn't harm it.
The materials in older Kyoto properties — washi paper, igusa grass, urushi lacquer, hinoki wood — don't respond well to modern cleaning products or to moisture applied without care. This session works within those constraints by design. Dry methods where water would cause harm. Humidity considered throughout. Products appropriate to natural surfaces only.
Outcome
Tatami, screens, lacquerware and wooden thresholds cleaned without moisture damage
Outcome
Assessment notes on paper panel and tatami condition, including where replacement may be worth considering
Outcome
Five hours of careful, informed work — long enough for the property to receive real attention
02 — The situation
Older properties need a different kind of attention.
What standard cleaning does wrong
A general cleaning service brings a mop, a spray bottle, and products designed for ceramic tiles and laminate flooring. Applied to tatami, those products leave residue in the rush fibres that attracts dust and gradually degrades the mat. Applied to lacquered fittings, a damp cloth with detergent strips the sheen over time. Paper screens are left unaddressed because there's nothing in the kit for them — or they're wiped, which causes warping along the frame.
What humidity does to older materials
Kyoto's seasonal humidity is substantial. An older machiya may have walls, floors and screens that have spent decades absorbing and releasing moisture in a specific pattern. Introducing additional humidity through cleaning — or failing to account for the day's conditions — disrupts that pattern. Tatami can retain moisture, developing problems that take months to appear. Wooden thresholds absorb water unevenly and may swell or split if dried too quickly.
The result for many residents of older properties is an accumulation of dust and grime in areas that standard cleaning either can't reach or is afraid to touch — and a slow, almost invisible deterioration in the materials that makes the property feel tired without any obvious single cause. This session addresses both of those things.
03 — How we approach it
Dry where moisture causes harm. Considered where it doesn't.
The session begins with a brief review of the space and the day's humidity — that reading shapes which areas are addressed first and in what order. From there, the work proceeds surface by surface, with each material treated according to what it is rather than where it sits in the room.
| Surface | Method applied | Moisture level |
|---|---|---|
| Tatami | Dry brush along grain, low-moisture wipe if conditions allow | Dry / minimal |
| Paper screens (shoji) | Frame dusted dry, no surface contact with paper panels | Dry only |
| Lacquered fittings | Soft dry cloth only, no detergents or moisture | Dry only |
| Wooden thresholds | Damp microfibre, grain direction followed, dried after | Low moisture |
| Sliding track channels | Dry brush, fine cloth for grime in grooves | Dry |
| Exposed beams and rafters | Dry brush and cloth, no sprays | Dry only |
| Stone and earthen floors | Dry sweep, damp cloth for persistent marks if appropriate | Low moisture |
04 — What the session involves
Five hours. Unhurried and methodical.
Reading the space first
The first fifteen minutes are spent looking — at what's there, what condition it's in, what the humidity is doing that day. Nothing is rushed or assumed. This reading shapes the order of work and whether any approach needs adjusting before we begin.
Working through the property
The session moves through the property room by room, surface by surface. Five hours allows proper time on each area — not a pass but an attended cleaning. You don't need to be present, and we bring everything needed. Natural materials require patience rather than pressure.
Assessment notes left with you
At the end, we leave a written assessment: what was done in each room, the condition of tatami and paper panels, and any areas where replacement may be worth considering. This is practical information — not a sales document. What you do with it is entirely your decision.
05 — What's involved
¥28,000 per session
Single session · Kyoto · Five hours
What's included
Five hours of careful cleaning throughout the property
Materials appropriate to natural surfaces only — no general-purpose products
Humidity reading at the start of the session, shaping the order of work
Tatami, shoji frames, lacquered fittings, wooden thresholds, sliding tracks, beams
Written assessment of paper panel and tatami condition with notes on any areas warranting attention
A note on the investment
The ¥28,000 covers the full five-hour session, all materials, and the written assessment. For properties with significant traditional features, this is typically arranged once or twice a year — before or after the main humid season, or before a property is used for a period after sitting empty.
Some households arrange it alongside a fortnightly visit: the regular visit handles general maintenance while the traditional session addresses the surfaces that require more specific care. We're happy to discuss how the two might work together for your property.
Water use
Approximately 3–6 litres · Predominantly dry methods throughout
06 — What to expect
Precise about what can and can't be done in a single session.
What the session addresses
Dust accumulated in tatami fibres, grime in sliding track channels, surface build-up on lacquered fittings and thresholds, and the general layer that settles into older properties between proper cleanings. The session also identifies — and notes — anything that cleaning alone cannot improve: mould beneath a tatami mat, deteriorated sealant around a bathroom fitting, paper panels past their useful life.
What it doesn't do
This session doesn't restore damaged materials. Tatami that has developed mould from persistent moisture, paper screens that are torn or warped, lacquerware with significant crazing — these need specialist repair, not cleaning. Where we find them, we'll say so directly. The assessment note is intended to give you an honest picture of the property, not to suggest everything is in better condition than it is.
After the session
Properties with traditional materials tend to feel the difference in quality of air as much as in visible cleanliness — dust that settles in tatami affects the room in ways that aren't always obvious until it's removed. The written assessment is often useful well beyond the day of the session, particularly for residents considering renovation or maintenance decisions in the coming year.
07 — Our commitment
We are careful with what we're trusted to work on.
The materials in older Kyoto properties are often irreplaceable or expensive to restore. We don't apply anything to a surface we're uncertain about, and we don't proceed with a method that carries risk without discussing it first. If something in the property is beyond what cleaning can address, we'll say so at the outset rather than after the fact.
Assurance
Natural materials only — nothing applied that could harm traditional surfaces
Assurance
Honest written assessment — if something needs repair rather than cleaning, we say so
Assurance
First conversation is free — describe your property, ask about the approach, before committing
08 — Getting started
Tell us about the property. That's where it begins.
Step one
Describe the property
Write to us via the contact form or at info@nerve-corezone.com. Tell us what kind of property it is — machiya, older apartment, family residence — and what's in it. Tatami rooms, shoji screens, lacquered fittings, exposed beams. The more we know, the more useful our response will be.
Step two
We confirm the approach
We'll reply within one working day. For properties with unusual materials or specific concerns, we may ask follow-up questions before confirming. Once timing and approach are agreed, the session is set.
Step three
The session and the note
Five hours on the day, unhurried. The assessment note is left in an agreed spot when we finish. If anything came up during the session that you should know about — something we paused on, a decision we made — it will be in the note.
Other sessions
Looking for something different?
¥14,500 · Single session
Bathroom and Washroom Care
A focused two-to-three hour session addressing limescale, mould in sealant lines, drain traps, ventilation covers and floor grouting. Products matched to your specific fittings.
See details¥16,000 · Fortnightly
Fortnightly Household Visit
A settled arrangement every two weeks — same team, household-defined checklist, rotating deep focus area agreed monthly. A written record left after every attendance.
See detailsTraditional Property Care
¥28,000 · Five hours · Machiya and older residences
Describe your property and what it contains. We'll tell you whether this session is the right fit and what we'd do — no obligation to proceed until you're ready.
Get in touch