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Home , Engawa, Fusuma, Genkan, Irori, Shoji, Sudare

Wisdom of Traditional Japanese Lives on Today A Hint for Your Smart and Tasteful Living

Wisdom of Traditional Japanese Homes Lives on Today Objectives of Residential From ancient times, the Japanese have been built with wooden frames Japanese homes and lifestyles have evolved in harmony with the natural envi- including elements such as , groundsills and beams, mud coated ronment of each region and also correspond to changes in social conditions with finishing materials and roofs with thatch, wood boards, bark, or tiles. and family relationships. Revisiting traditional residential architecture and Regional architectural styles utilize an abundance of natural materials pro- lifestyles formed in close relationship with the natural, social and family envi- duced and processed locally, and are passed on from generation to generation. ronments may offer some ideas and designs that can be integrates into mod- Looking over the exterior of the homes, you will see that roofs are sloped ern residential construction. and have overhanging eaves. Because gets a lot of rain, it is essential to take measures to prevent damage to wooden structures from penetration by rainwater. The sloped roofs swiftly drain off rainwater and the - ing eaves protect external walls from rain. Those eaves also effectively shield Natural environment the external walls from strong sunlight in summer. Large between Climate and natural features columns and beams allow wind and outdoor air to enter the as well of the region as sunshine. These eco-symbiotic techniques which wisely control and uti- Social Environment

lize the local climate may also be applicable to today’s housing. We should Social and cultural activities furthermore re-evaluate these measures especially now that energy demand restriction has become a critical problem. Inside of the house, you will find some Japanese-style with grass Housing , a wood- which serves to connect the inside space and Family the outside, an earthen floor hard-packed with plaster or concrete, and spaces with wooden floors, each of which had its own function. Japanese-style rooms

Sloped with tiles (Toyama were used to entertain guests or as a living for the family. Rooms with Prefecture) earthen floors were used for works and for work related activities such as repairing farming/fishing equipment. It was indispensable to have all Living of these-functions integrated into a single housing unit in those days, but is no longer required for modern living. However, when we imagine the people’s Nature/Society/Family Surrounding our House and Living – Unvarying in the Past and Present lifestyles and various activities carried out in the house in those days, it is conceivable that this integrated functions of a house considerably contributed Based on the history of the Japanese houses developed and used in close to adding tastefulness and profoundness to their daily lives. It may therefore relationship with the natural, social and family environment, we have identi- Overhanging eave, veranda and sweep- out (Kumamoto Prefecture) be worthwhile to re-evaluate these functions and to explore the possibility of fied the following 4 items as the objectives of residential architecture. adopting them to modern housing and lifestyles. In olden days, various techniques and innovations were incorporated in houses to make them last long, self-sustained in the region, and comfortable Objectives of Residential Architecture to live in, while accommodating diversified lifestyles. The booklet “Wisdom To facilitate sound human relationships of Traditional Japanese Homes: A Hint for Your Smart and Tasteful Life” To enjoy everyday lives revisits techniques and styles of living of the Japanese traditional To support comfortable and eco-friendly living

Adjacent Japanese-style rooms parti- homes offer, while introducing some ideas and techniques that may be appli- To protect against the external environment tioned by and sliding (Yamagata Prefecture) cable to modern residential architecture.

1 2 Elements of

Elements of Japanese Homes The four objectives of modern residential architecture require management architecture. of two aspects. One is a hard aspect, including type of structure, materials and The following matrix table shows the relationship between elements and design; the other is a soft aspect including maintenance and management of objectives of Japanese residential architecture. In order to achieve the objec- the house. tives of construction, it would help to select from the table the elements For the hard aspect, we have identified 36 building elements of the which correspond to your objectives and adopt them for your house. Japanese housing shown in the following photographs. The items presented We invite you to use the table to identify the elements that will help you here were selected from a wide range of traditional and modern residential realize ideal for you.

Relationship between Relationship between Objectives of residential architecture Objectives of residential architecture Elements and Objectives Elements and Objectives To support comfortable To protect against the Strong To facilitate sound human relationships To enjoy everyday lives of Japanese Residential Architecture and eco-friendly living external environment Family members Enjoy and Provide comfortable Perceive Provide comfortable Mitigate forces of watch over each appreciate living with cool Entertain guests seasonal changes living with warm air nature which other and grow abundance and refreshing air and their feelings in winter damage houses together in daily living in the summer Weak Sloped roof Tiled roof Roof/Eave Monitor roof Large-Projection Eave Board Exterior wall Plaster-coated wall High /Sylight Jimado*1 Sweep-out door Opening Window eaves Sunshade (*2/Yoshizu*3) Lattice Sliding storm doors Fusuma*4 Interior doors Sliding door 1 & 5 * Jimado : Window located at the windows Shoji * bottom of the wall and attached to Ranma*6 the floor. (Sweep-out window) *2 Sudare : blind hung over Adjacent rooms openings and rolled-up when it is *7 not in use. Interior space *3 Yoshizu : Reed blind propped up Entry against window/door head to cover Open space openings. *4 Fusuma : Wood-framed sliding door 8 * covered with thick paper 5 Elements of Japanese Architecture of Japanese Elements Floor Wooden-floor rooms * Shoji : Wood-framed sliding screen covered with thin paper 9 Doma* *6 Ranma : Japanese transom window used in Japanese-style rooms Shinkabe*10 Interior design *7 Engawa :Wood-floor veranda inside Central pillar the structure *8 Tatami (Japanese-style rooms) 11 * : Grass floor mat used for the Interior cultural Family Buddhist/Shinto alters Japanese-style rooms fixtures 9 12 * Doma : Space with an earthen floor * and tataki earthen floor hard-packed Mud wall with plaster or concrete Materials *10 Shinkabe : Wall which exposes Natural/local materials columns and beams 11 13 * Tokonoma : Japanese style alcove in Nure-en* Japanese-style rooms Tsubo-niwa/naka-niwa*14 *12 Irori : Open made by Outdoors Planting cutting away part of the floor *13 Nure-en : Open veranda made with Front garden wood or bamboo *14 Tsubo-niwa/naka-niwa : Small Layout Layout

3 4 〉〉 Roof/eave 〉〉 Exterior wall 〉〉 Opening Elements of Japanese Architecture

Roof/eave Exterior wall Sloped roof Board wall 勾配屋根 Koubaiyane 板壁 Itakabe

A board wall is an exterior finished material originally used to protect the painted surface of the external wall Because Japan gets a lot of rain, sloped from wind and rain. The boards can be roofs are used to swiftly drain off mounted in the form of wood siding or rainwater. vertical paneling. 1 Sloped roofs quickly drain off the rain to make roofs more resistant The roofs are covered by metal and a snow dividing ridge attached External wall finished with plaster coat at the top and boards on Partially replaced boarding and repainted so the repaired part is to rainwater. (Oita Prefecture) to the top of the roof so snow does not accumulate. The sloped the bottom where the wall is exposed to rain. not conspicuous. (Washima, Niigata Prefecture) roofs are well harmonized with the landscape of mountain range. (Toyama Prefecture) Roof/eave Exterior wall Tiled roof Plaster-coated 瓦屋根 Kawarayane wall 漆喰壁 Shikkuikabe

The history of Japanese roof tiles dates back to Asuka Period (550-710 AD). The plaster used for the Japanese The tiles fit the climate and natural houses primarily consists of calcium features of Japan and are considered to hydroxide (slaked lime). It may be be a desirable roofing material offering used for interior walls as well as exte- durability as well as beauty. rior walls. Roof range with beautiful roof tiles (Yatsuo, Toyama Prefecture) Unique scenery of the region with the locally produced red roof Plaster coated wall of a traditional Japanese house Plaster coated interior wall produced by skilled plasterers. tiles (Iwami, Shimane Prefecture)

Roof/eave Opening Monitor roof High window/ 越屋根 Koshiyane skylight 高 窓・天窓 Takamado/Tenmado

A monitor roof is a small roof built on the top of the main roof which was Windows are placed in the upper part originally developed to allow smoke of walls while a skylight is mounted from the open and cooking in the ceiling. These are effective for stove to escape. It is still cleverly providing light and ventilation while employed in modern architecture. 1 1 letting heat escape. 3 Beautiful landscape created by monitor roof Gentle sunlight through the monitor roof window High windows and skylight provide and ventilation for High windows mounted in the upper portion of inner opening in a earthen floor rooms in a traditional room with a normal ceiling height

Roof/eave Opening Extended eave Jimado window 深い軒 Fukai-noki 地窓 Jimado

Homes are provided with extended A jimado is a window mounted low in eaves to protect external walls from the exterior wall attached to the floor. rainwater as well as to shut off the It provides lighting, ventilation, and sunlight in summer. 4 5 enables you to see outside. Extended eaves protect exterior walls from rainwater. (Yamagata Beautiful scenery with shade created by large eaves (Minamata Opening facing a small courtyard in a traditional townhouse Jimado window to provide ventilation Prefecture) Eco-House, Kumamoto Prefecture)

5 6 〉〉 Opening 〉〉 Interior Doors & Windows Elements of Japanese Architecture

Opening Opening Sweep-out Sliding storm window doors 掃き出し窓 Hakidashimado 雨戸 Amado A sweep-out door opens outward from the floor up to the lintel (covering the inner size). Sweep-out doors enable Wooden doors are mounted outside you to enter or exit each room. There openings to protect them against wind are several types of sweep-out doors, and rain. Some modern houses have such as double sliding doors and shutters and movable louvers instead retractable doors. 1 of wooden storm doors. 7 Sweep-out doors enhance connected feeling between inside and Fully opening retractable sliding doors enhances the feeling of Wooden sliding storm doors of a typical traditional house Movable louver type sliding storm doors outside in a traditional Japanese house. continuity of the , the external and the garden.

Opening Interior Doors & Windows Window eaves Fusuma sliding 窓庇 Madohisashi doors 襖 Fusuma

Window eaves are mounted above Fusuma is a wood-framed sliding door each window to keep out rainwater which is lined with thick paper and and sunlight, especially when there then covered with paper or cloth. is no roof above the window, or the Fusuma offer a variety of components roof eaves and verge are too small or such as covering paper, lining paper, a mounted too far from the window. 1 7 frame, and door pulls. 1 8 Window eave mounted above window on the gable side Window eave above sweep-out doors mounted in wall without Retractable-type fusuma (with a pocket) Contemporary use of fusuma in modern living an eave

Opening Interior Doors & Windows Sunshade Sliding doors 日除け Hiyoke 引き戸 Hikido

Sliding door is a generic term for Sunshades are made of reed or bam- doors which open/close by sliding boo strips woven with strings or thin them horizontaly. The types and the ropes. Hanging sunscreens outside specifications vary significantly, such windows or under eaves screens as a single sliding door, double sliding sunlight. 5 2 doors, board door and lattice, etc. 1 1 Sunscreen hung under an eave; would be more durable if hung a Hooks attached underneath the eaves to hang sunscreens. Wood board sliding doors for partition in a traditional house Interior doors which incorporate muso (window made of narrow little more inward. boards connected on two rails each of which slides for opening and closing) on the top for interior ventilation

Opening Interior Doors & Windows Lattice Shoji 格子 Koshi 障子 Shoji

A lattice is made by assembling thin Shoji is a wood-framed sliding door wooden strips vertically and hori- or window covered with thin paper. zontally. Lattices are attached to the Depending on the assembly technique building exterior or windows/doors. and the proportion of the wooden Lattices function to keep people out- frame, it can create a variety of design side from seeing in, while allowing air features, including the Japanese style and light to get in. 1 and Western style. 1 In this traditional townhouse, the lattice was set to keep people When lattice doors are closed, one can see from inside but cannot Yukimi shoji elegantly keeps people outside from seeing in An example of using shoji in the Western interior design. outside from seeing in. be seen from outside, while allowing ventilation and cutting glare of sunshine.

7 8 〉〉 Interior Doors & Windows 〉〉 Interior space 〉〉 Floors Elements of Japanese Architecture

Interior Doors & Windows Interior space Ranma transom Open ceiling 欄間 Ranma space 吹抜け Fukinuke Ranma is a Japanese transom or an ornamental screen mounted between the ceiling and lintel. Ranma used An open ceiling provides a high ceiling to located above fusuma or shoji in extended over two floors in height. It Japanese-style rooms. Ranma are how- provides a link between the upper and ever sometimes used above swinging lower floors and facilitates circulation doors in Western-style rooms. 1 1 of air in the house. Traditional ranma above fusuma in traditional residence Ranma that closes to control ventilation Open ceiling space above a walk-through earthen floor a town- Open ceiling space provides the entire house with a sense of house provides lighting and ventilation. continuity.

Interior space Floors Adjacent rooms Tatami 続き間 Tsuzukima (Japanese-style rooms) 畳 Tatami Large Japanese-style rooms can be divided by fusuma sliding doors, or can Tatami is the representative floor finish be restored to a large room whenever material for rooms of a Japanese-style necessary by just removing the fusuma. house. It was originally made with A combination of Japanese-style room straws for the base mat (tatami-doko) attached to the Western-style room has and rushes for the covering (tatami- recently become popular. This type is omote). Tatami is a natural product included in this booklet. 4 1 that effectively controls moisture. 1 1 Japanese-style room partitioned with fusuma Tatami grass on the portion close to the Japanese-style room Thetatami room is facing the wood floor on two sides partitioned A half-size tatami mat without the edge covering provides a neutral give a unified feeling to the two adjacent rooms. with Shoji doors which can open three quarters of each opening. atmosphere which fits the Western style design. This enhances the sense of continuity and unification of the entire space. Interior space Floors Engawa wood Wooden-floor floor veranda rooms 縁側 Engawa 板の間 Itanoma Engawa is wood floor veranda run- ning separating main rooms from the These are spaces covered with wood- outdoors. Engawa serve as a en-floor and their species, thickness, passage to and from the main rooms width and the coating materials are and supplementary spaces to the main widely diversified. A touch of the solid rooms. Unlike nure-en, engawa veran- wood floors is specifically soft and das are located inside the structure. 2 warm. 1 1 Engawa veranda connecting room and garden provides a solemn Engawa veranda facing Japanese-style room in a modern home Using a wood with a warm touch, it is possible to create a space Depending on the type and color of paint, the light softly reflects atmosphere in a traditional house. comfortable for sitting on chairs and on flooring. and makes the whole of the room bright.

Interior space Floors Entry hall Earthen floor 玄関 space 土間 Doma Doma is a space with an earthen floor which was traditionally finished with This is a main entry hall of a house. mud and a tataki floor hard-packed Compared to older houses, the space with plaster or concrete. Today, we has generally been reduced today but sometimes finddoma covered with tiles instead of mud and tataki. Although we now see many unique fixtures in doma are located inside of the house, the entry hall such as a storage and a they may often be used for outside small reception space. 6 3 spaces as well for multiple functions. 1 1 Entrance hall covered by tatami mats so that the family can sit and Entrace hall provides a small chatting space. Doma extending from the entrance hall provides a space for vari- Renovated a part of living room to doma which connects to the receive visitors. ous family activities such as chatting and bicycle storage. . Doma may be constructed in an apartment.

9 10 〉〉 Interior design 〉〉 Interior cultural fixture 〉〉 Materials 〉〉 Outdoors Elements of Japanese Architecture

Interior design Interior cultural fixture Shinkabe wall Irori open 真壁 Shinkabe fireplace Shinkabe is a type of wall with exposed 囲炉裏 Irori wooden structural members such as This is an open fireplace on floor level columns and beams. The rest of the formed by cutting away a portion of the space between them are filled with floor in the house.Irori open mud or a wooden boards finished with are used for cooking, dining and heating the house. Open fireplaces are not popu- plaster or wallpaper. It is easier to check lar in Japan anymore, but recessed seat- condition of the building structure with ing on tatami mats on the floor around shinkabe than okabe walls, which do not a low table equipped with an oven and a have exposed structural members. 1 wood stove are still sometimes seen. 1 1 Using a room with shinkabe walls, which present a warm atmo- A combination of shinkabe walls and shoji sliding doors creates a Open fireplace surrounded by board to put things on A living room equipped with a wood stove. Having an open sphere with a western flavor. sense of continuity between the dining space and the Japanese- ceiling, this room is closely connected to the second floor which style room. makes the room suitable for family gathering.

Interior design Materials Central pillar Mud walls 大黒柱 Daikokubashira 土壁 Tsuchikabe Mud walls are constructed by building a on the ground called komai, Originally, the central pillar was a which is a lath made with bamboo structually important thick pillar and wood strips. This is a traditional around which the building was built as Japanese wall structure. Shikkui plaster a symbol of family status. In some of used for the Japanese house and jura- the modern houses, a central pillar is ku-tsuchi, a high quality clay produced built in the living rooms to symbolize in Juraku-dai area in Japan, are applied the family. 1 1 as finishing materials. 1 The central pillar stands betweendoma earthen floor andzashiki The main pillar in the wood floor room, combined with the open To build mud walls, assemble the komai first and then plaster mud An interior designed with mud walls rooms. The door sills were originally designed slightly outward celling space, gives visual continuity to the second floor. in several layers. which required to cut the corner of the tatami mat to give a space for the central pillar. To avoide this, the door sills were moved inwards to match the inside corner of the central pilllar. Interior cultural fixture Materials Tokonoma Natural and 床の間 Tokonoma local materials Tokonoma is The Japanese style alcove 自然素材・地域産材 Shizen-sozai/Chiiki-sanzai in zashiki rooms (a tatami mat room used as a ). Recently There are various materials used for however, it has been increasingly house building such as wood, paper, popular to freely design new style of soil, rock, bamboo and so forth. The alcoves and create spaces other than matrials that are procured in the region alcoves for placing flowers and sea- of the building site are called chiiki-zai, sonal interior decorations. 1 1 or “local materials.” 4 4 Standard style of the Japanese alcove Tokonoma-like decorational shelves installed in the front of an A natural house made with local wood (Kanayama-sugi) and other A local house renovated using a variety of natural materials entrance hall natural materials including shikkui plaster, tatami and Japanese paper.

Interior cultural fixture Outdoors Family Buddhist Nure-en and Shinto alters veranda 仏 壇・神 棚 / 濡れ縁 Nure-en

These are the spaces for worship and A nure-en veranda is an open veranda performing religious services for exposed to rain, which consists of ancestors, and also for reminiscing wood or bamboo boards. Similar to a the precious memories for the family. wood-deck today’s housing, it is used Japanese culture calls for providing as the additional space extended from such spaces in a house. 1 1 the inside 1 2 A Buddhist alter placed in a Japanese-style room connected to the A Shinto alter above the . Shinto alters are usually placed on Extentive view from inside, connected to nure-en and outside Nure-en built under large extended eave (wood deck) which gives living room a stand suspended from a wall, but this alter is kept in the space a feeling of open space extended from inside of the house. specially prepared for it.

11 12 Elements of Japanese Architecture

Outdoors Tsubo-niwa/ Naka-niwa 坪 庭・中 庭 Tsubo-niwa/Naka-niwa

These small are surrounded by the building and often seen in tradi- tional . They facilitate light and ventilation and also let us enjoy the view. 2 1 A naka-niwa garden viewed from the 3 directions of rooms Tsubo-niwa in front of the entrance hall provides an open and bright feeling for the entrance

Outdoors Planting 植栽 Shokusai

In addition to preserving the land- scape and its appreciation, planting has various practical functions such as providing shade, screening wind and providing a source of wood, foods (such as fruit) and fuel (firewood). 1 5 Plants on approach to the house and the housing lot border Green curtains of vines such as yoshizu provide shade. enhance the landscape of the area.

Outdoors Front garden 前庭 Maeniwa

A front garden of a house is a space for welcoming the visitors and taking them into the house. In old times, it was sometimes used as a half-public space open to the local community. A front garden with a calm atmosphere in a traditional house A parking space in an approach to the house, which may be used for a playing ground for children in the daytime.

Layout Layout of 建物配置 Tatemono-haichi

A well-planned building layout con- tributes to protection against seasonal winds and enhances of the light intake and the ventilation in congested urban areas. Azuma-dachi is a local way of building houses which face the east By coordinating the locations of tsubo-niwa with the neighbors, from which gentler winds blow. On the west side, vegetation called lighting and ventilation may be shared by every neighbor. kainyo is planted. (Toyama Prefecture)

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