Tokonoma are a unique feature of tatami rooms, originally found in affluent households. Through the centuries, they slowly became standard fixtures for all social classes, including commoners.

He also left a “tokonoma” (alcove) in the traditional Japanese-style room and the pink tiles in the bathroom as they were. “Eighty-six years of history cannot be recreated,” Wormann said.

The specimen was then placed in a wooden box deep on the “tokonoma” alcove at her home. The box contained a letter of reply from Japanese dog researcher Hirokichi Saito, now deceased ...