Living in a Traditional Japanese House

There is no debate a Traditional Japanese House wins hands down when compared to the modern cookie cutter house found in Japan nowadays. The Traditional House oozes character is rich in natural material and tells a story of a bygone era.

First let us understand and appreciate the characteristics of “The Ko Minka”, or traditional Japanese houses, which are typified by tatami mat flooring, sliding doors, wooden passage ways engawa, over engineered timber frame structure, dramatic tiled roof, welcoming entrance genkan and wrapped by wooden verandas, leading to a traditional themed garden.

Japan is famously known as the land of the rising sun and for its four distinct seasons. In addition, the formidable forces of nature, typhoons, earthquakes and the predictable rainy season, houses are therefore built with these elements foremost in the design and layout of the buildings.

The orientation of the house strictly follows the path of the rising sun and prevailing cooling summer breeze.

Robust tiled roofs portray elements of water and the ocean (as a good omen to protect against fire). They are built to withstand the forces of the seasonal typhoons and swiftly carry away heavy rainfall, via overextended eaves into elaborate copper amadoi gutters.

Externally the house is clad in wooden boards with plaster coated walls shikkuikabe typically painted in white. On the front elevation of the house a glazed passage way engawa flows around the building joining rooms and creating a transition from the outside to the inside. The house is wrapped externally by wooden decking known as nure‐en verandas.

The building is raised off the ground to protect from damp and flooding during periods of heavy rain. One enters the building at a lower level, known as the tataki, this is the front entrance genkan of the house. The genkan stands stoically and directly in line with the rising sun, here you remove your shoes which are placed neatly in the getabako‐ a shoe cabinet found under the step leading in to the main house.

At the back of the house is an ura‐katte‐guchi ‐ similar to a mudroom or tradesman entrance. This is the entrance which homeowner mostly uses and where coats, boots and more are stored.

Inside a traditional house The layout of the rooms again follows the path of the sun and direction of the wind. Each room is divided by sliding partitions and plastered walls.

There are two types of sliding partitions fusuma and shōji.

Fusuma use heavier paper or sometimes cloth and are opaque, serving as a distinct barrier Unlike walls, however, fusuma can easily be removed to rearrange space within the house.

Shoji are lighter than fusuma, with washi paper affixed to a wooden lattice. They prevent people from seeing through, but brighten up rooms by allowing light to pass. As paper is porous, shoji also help airflow and reduce humidity. Often set in doors between panes of glass are elaborate decorations made of slips of bamboo. Also a style sometimes found, are the “snow‐viewing” or yukimi shoji where it is possible to slide up the lower section of the shoji allowing one to look out through the glass into the garden

Elaborate decorations made of slips of bamboo

A tatami flooring covered with woven rush is perhaps the most quintessential and essential element in a traditional house. The faint smell of tatami is a distinct characteristic of Japanese rooms, and the springy but firm mats are pleasant to sit or lie on. One mat can absorb up to 500 milliliters of moisture, releasing it when the air is dry. Tatami also absorbs nitrogen dioxide, helping to clean the air. It is very important that when entering a tatami room one must remove their house slippers.

Horigotatsu a special feature, this is a table set over a sunken area of the tatami room often with an under table heater or even floor heating, a cozy place for the family to enjoy a hearty warming meal or play broad games during the cold winter nights

Horigatatsu

Found in the center of the house is the tokonoma an ornamental alcove set slightly above floor level. Here homeowners will display a hanging scroll or picture, along with a seasonal display of ikebana flower arrangement, kōro incense burner, or piece of prized pottery.

Tokonoma and Oshiire

Within most rooms you will find an oshiire which is a large two level cupboard used to store futons during the daytime. Due to their bulk and the necessity to store summer and winter futons plus pillows and more these cupboards hide away all manner of bulky clutter.

Bathrooms and Toilets

In Japanese houses the toilet and bathroom are separated typically found on the back of the house. The bathroom itself consists of an area for washing and a tub for soaking. There is also a small adjoining room for getting dressed and undressed. Japanese families generally use the same bathwater, being careful to get clean and rinse off the soap before entering the tub, and the tub is not drained until everyone has had a bath.

Traditionally the toilet was an archaic squat toilet, a purely functional apparatus. Fortunately in most houses they have been superseded by high‐tech units with heated seats and multitude of additional features.