Homes

Machiya: A Traditional Japanese House at Work

in Buildings, Homes
The historical city of Kyoto might be the location that is most associated with Machiya, which is a style of traditional Japanese house. The traditional wooden townhouses that Japan is known for are one of the two categories of minka folk dwellings. The other design is called no-ka, and this category constitutes a certain type of farm dwelling.

The first Machiya reportedly grew out of architecture in the Heian period, but they continued to see developments through the Edo period. There were even developments in Machiya craft during the Meiji era. Regular cho-nin, or townspeople, lived in these homes and made up a class of craftsmen and merchants. The word itself is written with the kanji for town (machi). The kanji used for ya can mean either shop or house, and this bit of a spelling lesson is an easy way to illustrate just how integral these buildings were to Japanese villages.

Dogo Onsen, ca. 1894, Showcasing Traditional Japanese Architecture

Many traditional structures in Kyoto were designed to stand up as a long wooden house with a narrow frontage. This could stretch into the city block for quite a was, and might have a courtyard garden or something similar. They could be up to three stories high, and usually featured walls made of earth and tile roofs. While most people might think of residential and commercial space as something different, many of the inhabitants these homes actually used the space in the front of their buildings as a place of business. There were often folding shutters that helped to display whatever goods their owners were selling.

The remainder of the structure would be divided into a kyoshitsubu, which was a living space. The kyoshitsubu might have several rooms that have raised timber floors along with tatami mats. The doma, also called a toriniwa, was a less glamorous room that had no floor. It usually worked as a service space that featured a kitchen. The hibukuro made up the chimney to carry away smoke from cooking. Interestingly enough, a hibukuro in a traditional Japanese home can also be used like a skylight.

Since many of these traditional Japanese homes stood on a plot that was narrow but very long, people called them unagi no nedoko. That translates to eel bed. Interestingly enough, the use of these plots was actually quite efficient, and even the courtyards and gardens could help with air circulation. They also served to bring natural lighting into the homes.

Washitsu Japanese Style Rooms: Relax on the Tatami Mats

in Buildings, Homes
Washitsu rooms are places where Japanese traditional architecture still survives in today's modern world. The name itself is an antonym for the phrase yoshitsu, which refers to a western style room. Washitsu can also be referred to as nihonma, and astute students of the Japanese language might notice that 'Nihon', which can be read as Japan, is present in the word. The word yoma is sometimes used in place for yoshitsu.
One of the things that make a washitsu a Japanese style room is the presence of tatami mat flooring. Tatami mats are a real staple of traditional Japanese architecture, and they're associated with Japanese architecture in general. They might also have fusuma, or sliding doors, instead of the usual hinged doors seen in some types of other rooms. If the room in question is designed to receive guests, it might have a tokonoma alcove intended to hold decorative items.

Traditional Manner of Making Tatami Mats, ca. 19th Century

Technically, most Japanese rooms in the past could be considered washitsu and people slept on futons laid out over the tatami mats. They often sat directly down on the tatami mats, or on specially designed zabuton furniture. However, most Japanese homes today really only have one of these rooms, and quite a few new apartments don't have them at all. Instead of tatami mats, these new apartments have hardwood or vinyl flooring. This gives them a much different feel than one that uses classical floor coverings.

Japanese style houses and rooms are measured in the number of tatami mats used to cover the floor. There are generally six to eight of these mats in a private residence, though there are also half sizes used in some situations. When speaking in Japanese, the counting word jo is used by to define how many mats there are in a room.

There might be a low table in these rooms to eat dinner at or invite guests for a meal. The kotatsu is a particularly important type of table in these rooms. This low table might have a blanket and a heating element, though in the past kotatsu tables might have had live fires in them. These tables are really quite important, because many Japanese homes do not have central heating, despite the fact that the winter can be very cold in many parts of Japan. Sitting at a kotatsu table is a comfortable way to keep out the cold when spending time in a traditional Japanese room.

Traditional Japanese Household Arrangements: a Unique Style of Architecture

in Buildings, Homes
The term Minka might be read as house of the people, and this makes sense from a historical context in Japanese society. The non-samurai classes of merchants, artisans and farmers were put up in these traditional Japanese houses. Since these sorts of class distinctions no longer exist, the term Minka can generally refer to any traditional Japanese home that has a bit of history behind it.

No-ka are technically farm houses. That being said, fishing has always been an important industry in Japan, and Gyoka homes are a variant of No-ka that were built for fishermen. As man farmers could not afford to import expensive materials, no-ka are often made from wood and clay. Grass, straw and bamboo are also common materials. Internal walls were generally made up sliding wooden doors or fusuma screens. Tatami mats covered the floors, and the roofs were made out of either thatch or baked clay tiles. Stone wasn't usually used for the construction, but it was used to strengthen foundations.

Traditional Japanese architecture is built around the use of wooden columns, and therefore the internal structure is usually not a load bearing design. This is why the interiors of these homes cold be made up of entryways, windows, paper screens and walls that were not fixed in place. There was another interior fixture that fans of Japanese architecture will surely be familiar with, at least in passing.

Gokayama Minka Houses

The irori was a built-in hearth that would be placed somewhere within the raised floor. However, irori hearths don't actually have a chimney in the way that most fireplaces usually do. Instead, a small smoke vent up in the roof helped to funnel out heat and smoke, so that the inhabitants didn't have to breath it in. Unfortunately, using this system can cause the thatch to start to go black. Thatch often needed to be replaced because of it. Since oil lamps could be expensive in the days before electric lighting, the hearth was often the sole artificial light source in these homes.

Interestingly, sharing a meal in a traditional Japanese household was a strictly stratified process. The family gathered around the hearth like they would anywhere, but they did so in a particular order. The head of the family sat on one side, and another side was reserved for the lady of the household and female members of the family. The third side was reserved for male members of the household and their guests. The remaining fourth side was used to store firewood.

Traditional Japanese Kitchen

in Homes

From time immemorial the traditional Japanese kitchen has centered around the stove or hearth. A stove made of clay called a kamado was in the center. Pots would be set on top for cooking. This was actually very similar to today's modern stoves with the exception that it was heated with a fire instead of electricity or gas.

In today's Japanese kitchen, space is at a premium. Everything is arranged conveniently in as small a space as possible. Since most Japanese recipes use the techniques of broiling, boiling, grilling, steaming and frying, the kitchen is set up to make the most of these cooking techniques. A small gas stove usually takes up the most counter space. They usually have two burners. This stove is used for the majority of dishes needed to make up a meal. Many of these small gas stoves also have a small integrated broiler built in that functions a little like a toaster oven.

A small refrigerator will usually stand at the end of the counter. Most households will have a rice cooker and a microwave. Since most Japanese kitchens do not have a dedicated oven like they do in America, many of the microwaves are hybrids that also allow the cook to bake and toast. Dishwashers are also very rare in a Japanese kitchen. Most dishwashers are small and portable. They can be set up on top of the nearest cabinet. Some kitchens also have a special appliance for heating water. They are programmable and will keep water hot for anything it may be needed for.

In newer homes, a "system kitchen" is often built in instead of having the appliances sitting on top of the cabinets. System kitchens may have the stove, dishwasher and broiler built right into the cabinets. This is a new innovation in Japan.

What’s up with the Japanese Baths?

in Homes

At first I didn’t understand the Japanese bath at all. Here in the states most people prefer to take a shower to remove the grim of the day. But the Japanese bath is different. It’s not for cleaning like our baths. It’s more for relaxation and get this . . .you’re actually clean before you get into the bath water. Now, that’s totally different from how we take baths. It makes baths more appealing. Instead of sitting in your own dirty water as we do here, you’re sitting in nice, hot, relaxing, clean water. Boy, that sure sounds good right about now.

Visit a Traditional Japanese Home

February 28, 2008

I love traditional Japanese homes. They are so organic, simple, and so tranquil compared to modern day homes. If you get a chance to visit Japan try to see a traditional Japanese home. If you do, you won’t be disappointed. It is a lovely site to see.

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