Features

Small Land

Japan is a small country, so naturally, houses tend to be small and compact.

The same room is used for many purposes by changing and moving furniture. One room can serve as a living room, a study, or a guest room.

Japan is a mountainous country. A lot of trees grow in the mountains, so lumber is easy to obtain.

Japan is a country of earthquakes. Wood materials are resilient against earthquakes. They can absorb and dissipate the damaging energy through their flexibility.

Japan can be uncomfortably humid. Wood materials have excellent moisture absorption properties.

Changes of Seasons

Wood can absorb water from the air during the humid season and release it during the dry season.

The floors are elevated about fifty centimeters above the ground. The gap allows air to circulate, preventing humidity from accumulating. This led to the custom of removing shoes before entering the house.

Permanent walls are not constructed inside the house. Shoji sliding doors are used for dividing the rooms. This allows air to flow freely, cooling the house.

Shoji sliding doors can regulate the amount of sunlight entering the room. Japanese houses often have a garden. These gardens are ideal for appreciating the changing seasons.

Parts

Byobu, Folding Screen: Originally, this was a type of furniture used for guarding against wind or dividing a room. Later, it evolved into a canvas for paintings and writings, reaching the level of excellent artworks. It adds an aesthetic touch of Japanese culture to rooms.

Tatami mat: Tatami mats are traditional floor materials made of Igusa. Covering the entire floor of a room with tatami mats began around the 15th century, and since then, Japanese people have used them in their homes. Room sizes are often measured by the number of tatami mats. For example, a room might be described as Hachi-jo or Yo-jou-han, where “jo” means tatami. When using a tatami-floored room, it is customary not to step on the borders of different colors. (This is because the cloth used for the borders is easily torn.)

Kami-dana, House Shinto Shrine: A miniature wooden altar with holy tools such as a religious writing card, a small mirror, a small sake bottle, and sakaki branches in vases is placed on a shelf set below the ceiling. A person is supposed to change the water and pray in a Shinto manner every day.

Tokonoma, Alcove in a Japanese Room: It is a recessed space for ornaments such as a hanging scroll (kakejiku), a flower arrangement, a vase, or a doll. It is an important element of the aesthetic appeal of a Japanese room.

Dozou: This is a storage house built of white mortar for wealthy households. It is a symbol of wealth. It is fireproof, protecting valuable items inside from being burned and lost.

Kakejiku, Artistic Scroll: A painting or writing is placed on a long piece of cloth for decoration and hung inside a tokonoma, an alcove. This is a traditional Japanese way of displaying artworks on the wall for appreciation. Some, created by famous artists, are very expensive.

Engawa, Narrow Wooden Passageway: It is a narrow wooden passageway on the edge of the house, facing a garden and connecting rooms. It is often used to view the garden scenery or to warm up on a cold winter day, like a sunroom.

Ikou, Rack: It is a rack for hanging kimonos. It is ideal for displaying the beautiful patterns and designs of kimonos.

Tea Room: A special room for tea ceremonies, often standing alone in a garden. The interiors are very simple, reflecting the spirit of the Tea Ceremony, which emphasizes simplicity. It is typically four and a half tatami mats in size, with several tools for making tea. The Tea Ceremony has become a discipline for learning proper behavior.

Shoji, Paper Sliding Door: They are used in traditional Japanese rooms. They consist of a wooden frame with Washi, Japanese paper, glued on. Washi is translucent, so Shoji doors diffuse light beautifully into the room. Fusuma is another type of sliding door, but it is thicker and not translucent. Fusuma often feature paintings. They are placed between the passageway and the room.

Shoin Zukuri: This refers to a Japanese architectural style. It is a fundamental style of traditional Japanese architecture, featuring tatami, shoji, tokonoma, and fusuma. This style developed during the age of the samurai.