The Japanese House-its Interior and Exterior (Art eBook)

THE JAPANESE HOUSE Its

Interior

and

Exterior

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Now,

some Japanese houses

let's visit In

the half-generation since

World War

experienced extraordinary changes.

ended, Japan has

II

Many

of the

changes you

can sum up under the broad term westernization. As

we have

seen on the preceding pages, people are rapidly adopting

Western dress— more men are wearing fewer

women

are appearing

in

suits

and

leather shoes,

kimono and geta. Among the

higher-income families today, an increasing number

own and watch

and

television,

own

cars,

own and

use

Many new

houses include

miniature

cameras. ..

'

iil

Japanese houses also are changing.

one or more Western-style rooms, or sometimes a complete and

floor arranged

nished. But rarely

-»

The

traditional

and

this

All

book

is

furnished the

much as our houses are

whole house done

in

Western

fur-

style.

Japanese house makes sense to the Japanese, will

show you why.

Japanese houses have certain things

in

common— among

them, the use of tatami, shoji, and fusumo; the relationship of entry to street; the entry gate; the

house. first

to

On

the

these

pages

common

that

follow

elements.

manner of entry

we

will

into

introduce

the

you

Together they make up a

vocabulary of the Japanese house.

But

first,

here

is

a 14-page

picture and text presentation of the vocubularij of the Japanese house.

ONilt.

u

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The entry gate leads first to

a garden,

then to the house

ri

-Hi Although a small Japanese house close to a

may have

street

traditional

hedge on

its

or village

city

front entrance directly off the street, the

detached Japanese house has a wall, fence, or the property line

around the garden, with a gate

open

dramatize the entrance. The gate

way

often, the small entry

will

that leads to the entry.

Most

to a

be separate from the main garden, planned

to

garden path-

will

to

garden

be enjoyed

from the main rooms, usually at the sides and rear of the house.

photograph shows such a gate. Notice

This

that

it

is

roofed

over and has two separate openings. The smaller gate, open here,

gate

is

is

everyday use of family and

for the

opened

for guests

times there will be a single in

one

of the

servants.

The larger

and on ceremonial occasions. Somebroad gate, with a smaller opening

doors for everyday

use.

.»*s»^>

18

.-»«;»«''

g^:

*

At the genkan (entry vestibule)

you take

off

your shoes

The path from the gate leads you to a sheltered enclosure one.

like this

Its

chief elements are a

then the floor of the house

The stone step

You

step up

or geto; inside a

is

called ku\s,unug\-\sh\

platform,

,

or taking-off-shoes stone.

and remove your outdoor footwear, be

it

shoes

you never wear these on the delicate mat-flooring

Japanese house.

of carefully selected will

step, a

itself.

The intermediate platform-step

you

brood

and

is

called shlk'idai,

carefully

and

is

usually

wrought wood. Next

to

it

frequently find a cabinet or shelf for depositing your

shoes and other gear; here you see an umbrella stand.

The genkan, or

vestibule, has sliding exterior

from the outside. (shoii)

are .>^ Jf'i?"^

slid

It

is

doors

to close

it

o small anteroom from which exterior

panels open to other rooms. Here, the shoji beyond

back to reveal a room and a garden on the other

side.

i-\f:\*

2/

The design of "(he tatami the occasional

The

absence

floor of (he twelve-mat

of fhe black line of

room beyond repeats

ffie

that of the

fofeground room. Notice

binding where two mat ends meet.

tatami mats

floor is resilient

Laid over a rough subfloor, straw mots cover the entire surface of the floors of the living

rooms. These tatami are a with

a

surface

finish

of

approximately three by

over two inches thick and are composed of o straw core-

little

woven

matting.

feet.

Their side

six

black or dark gray fabric, which

This

kind

of

floor

cleanliness. Since

surface

airing.

Another advantage

on the

soft surface of the tatami

Daily

life

is

carried out

on the

house affords.

22

contributes

may be is

sitting

edges are usually bound with a narrow

strip of

sometimes decorated.

everyone removes

from the outside. The mats

laid right

is

Everywhere they are of the same dimensions:

his

lifted

quiet.

many advantages

to the

shoes before entering,

once or twice a year

little

for a

or no

is

almost noiseless.

or kneeling on the floor,

floor, so the resilience of the

and

A

is

dirt

is

tracked

in

thorough cleaning and

Stockinged or fabi-clad feet are quiet

movement

One

Japanese house.

third

in

themselves,

advantage

at night the fu/on

is

and

comfort.

(bedding)

is

mat contributes to such comfort as the Japanese

The tatami's uniform

size has

a profound effect

on the building of a Japanese house. unit

of floor-area

rooms

is

of mats,

mats

fit

specified

the

is

measurement. The size of according to the number

and rooms are always precisely,

It

laid out

so that

Average-

without cutting.

sized

rooms normally have an even number

mats.

The mat's length

is

repeated

in

of the sliding panels used for interior terior walls,

and sometimes also

its

of

the height

and

ex-

width. Thus, (Above)

even though the Japanese house it

starts with

many

is

handcrafted,

of the benefits of

measure and prefabricated

parts.

modular

Sliamg

IranslucenI

opaque wall size (three

warm

wall

al right, are

by

(Below) Clean sent a

panels,

exterior

six)

and

both

of

the

and

of

the

of the

same

as the mats.

resilient,

tatami pre-

contrast to the outdoors.

lUUnil'li

23

1

^4 M "X

)^'\ V

I

The

interior walls

are sliding panels (fusuma)

Although there are some fixed partitions interior

space

is

separated— and

the

in

or sliding interior screens. These rest on a of the tatami, with shallow

Above

By

the

surface flush with the top

that serve as tracks to

keep them

in

place.

the ceiling there

is

open space

for air circulation

the panels are closed.

sliding the

large,

wood

them, a lintel— or kamoi—six feet high also has tracks on the underside.

Between the kamoi and

when

grooves

the Japanese house, most of the

rooms defined— by paper-covered fusuma,

open

fusuma back or removing them, the Japanese house achieves

interior

spaces or combinations of open and closed spaces.

photograph at the

left

open

the fusuma are slid back to

three

rooms

In

into

one another. Fusuma may be decorated or

When

used for rooms that

have a translucent

will

handles are often richly designed.

plain. Their

be closed

insert, for light. In

off

from an outside wall, they

warm summer weather,

be replaced by open-work panels, often of reed screen, so

solid

fusuma

that air

may

may

con pass

through without a loss of privacy.

The

and

size of is

fusuma or

shoji (see

page 28) depends on

usually the width divided by

two or

the width of the

four. Since

room

size

and shape

are determined by the tatami module, specifying the number of- mats

room automatically

room,

in

a

gives the possible sizes of the sliding panels.

25

In the

zashiki (principal room) the focus

In

on the tokonoma

is

Japanese house, the

the

room used

of family

zasW\\(\

panels, interior

and

is

a kind

for daily activities, entertaining, eating,

sleeping. Three of

and sometimes

room

or principal

its

four walls

may be

be devoted

but the fourth will

exterior,

sliding

to the fo/conoma.

The tokonoma

some

is

hand-

for the display of a scroll, a

an alcove

objects such as stones, or a flower

art object, natural

arrangement. Seldom are more than two items displayed at

one

time,

and

the display

often.

The tokonoma

most

honored guest

occasionally

will

is

have

changed seasonally or even more

is

the place of

is

its

seated

honor

nearest

well established.

is

The floor

the floor of the room. At one corner

i^oko-hashha] often

at

in

its

front that acts as

in

one end

room

guest

is

execution, but

in is

it

its

usually higher than

a specially crafted post state.

The

ceiling,

the

obscured by a section of

a valance. The tokonoma

of a rectangular

the exterior wall so that

is

natural

height as that of the room,

same wall

left

A

own tokonoma.

The tokonoma alcove can vary widely basic form

it.

room— the

the

in

is

placed

room, usually on the side next to

can be lighted by a window

in

its

side.

Adjoining the tokonoma

dana.

This

shelves,

is

generally

is

a smaller recess called the low-ceilinged,

in

lesser

the

picture

in

the

tokonoma. Frequently,

here, the chigai-dana

is

display or arrangement. Sometimes

window from 26

and contains open

a low cabinet, or an upper cabinet. The cabinets are

used to store objects for display as

cWiga'i-

the

tokonoma

also this

used for

-a

recess has a

for light from the side.

27

The garden room. By moving the

shoji,

you can radically

the Westerner,

Japanese house

is its

view Irom the room.

of the most charming features of the

translucent sliding exterior wall panels, or

These act both as windows and as doors.

shoji.

Like

one

the

away

Exterior wall panels (shoji) slide To

alter

fusuma, shoji produce a variety of outlook. You can throw

them back partly or completely, to open a room or to open the

whole house

to the garden.

closed, to bathe the

The

classic

Japanese

stretched over a

the

covering

mode 28

room

wood

in

shoji

a is

frame.

sometimes

is

Or

they can be completely

soft, diffused light.

made (On

with

shoji

translucent

in almost endless patterns, but

translucent

paper

imported to America plastic.)

Shoji

are

even so are typically quite

The pallern of the

shoji

is

repealed

to reveal the simple that

in

design.

In

makes

on the

it

is

In

panels above. Sliding glass doors ore beyond.

instances, the lower half still

is

a panel

another means of varying

a particularly agreeable shoji variation, for

possible to

floor.

sliding

garden

can be removed, giving

the opening. This it

some

in

\/'\ew

the garden while

the traditional

you are seated

Japanese house,

protected with rain shutters placed

in

shoji

were

tracks a small distance

out from the house wall. In

the

modern Japanese house,

shoji are oftentimes

combined

with other kinds of sliding panels, such as the insect screening

shown

in

the

sometimes

photograph

fitted

at the

left

above. They are

with glass-panel inserts, or

you may

glass doors as well as rain shutters outside.

now

also

see sliding

29

The engawa invites you into the The engawa

many

is

things.

garden It

is

a narrow plat-

form at the wall line— outside the

extends the

that

and

shoji

panels—

inside the rain shutters or sliding glass

indoor floor out over the

ground.

The engawa

both step and porch.

is

vides access from the garden. to

sit

and have

tea

It

is

also a place

and cakes on a summer

afternoon, much as you would

sit

on a veranda

anywhere. The floor of the engawa therefore,

in

pro-

It

many Japanese

wood;

is

houses,

is

it

the

only place where you can set chairs and a table (you ordinarily

on the tatami

do

not place such furniture

floor).

The engawa may be a corridor as times

when

it

is

some-

v>/ell;

the only access from room to room

the fusuma inside are closed.

But perhaps the

engawa's pleasantest

role

is

as foreground and prelude to the garden, as

we

see

it

in

these

two photographs.

It

gives

depth to the view from any room, beckons

you

to

down

its

edge, and seems to

into the

invite

you

to step

garden.

31

'

(At

left)

Double entry gate as

horn the (Left,

it

appears

street.

below)

When

the

guest gate

open, you can see (he front door.

is

^

Kulsunugi-isbi: This careiully selected in

Getabako: Sliding doors genkan.

i

f\

i.

34

and

careiully

a bed of concrefe surfaced with pea gravel. Note like

miniature fusvma

placed stone s/ep ttie

zori

(left)

and

make a neat cabinet

/s

sef

gefa. in

the

Ill

The

floor i)lan is flexil)le The

typical

Japanese house

is

small.

Room

size

is

expressed by the number of mots that cover the floor. will

A

be

typical size for

six to

about the

size of

ever, this

space

readily

^

^ '" I"

7

'fc=^

to

144 square

feet),

not only multipurpose but also

is

expandable

in

108

American bedrooms. Usually, how-

other

into

outdoors by means of

As shown

a living-dining-sleeping room

eight mats (or

rooms and

sliding wall

to

the

panels.

the three floor plans below, the entry

generally opens

into

an

interior corridor that gives

access to most (but not necessarily

all)

of the living

rooms, as well as to the kitchen and bathroom.

Here ore three floor plans numbers

36

of

refer to this glossary

Japanese houses. The list:

1.

Entry

Gen/con

2.

Tatami room

Zash/lc/

3.

Alcove

To/conoma

4.

Closet

Monoire

5.

Kitchen

Daidokoro

6.

Bathroom

Yokushitsu (Furoj

7.

Porch

Engawa

(Oshiire)

The Japanese room has

many fnnctions

The most used and most nese house

room. Here the family

really a family

Here they dine, and here,

tain.

(or

room

typical

some members

of

it)

the

is

play of

live

often,

of

its

and

It

is

enter-

the family

characteristic feadis-

The tokonoma takes up part of one end of the

a flower arrangement, and perhaps a

exterior wall,

tokonoma, where there

art,

the Japa-

room.

also sleep.

As mentioned before, one tures

in

the zashiki, or principal

is

is

always a

the at

family treasure or an unusual natural object.

lelt

the

ing

living

room by

quickly converts to a sleep-

The bedding

floor.

into the closet in the

again assumes one of

This

is

lusuma.

is

modern

and a vase (and

the

The tokonoma

the

floral

with shoji;

displays

a

gaku

arrangement, a pottery

telephone). At the right

is

a

version of the chigai-dana.

the simple process of laying out the

bedding on the

back

room

are

(framed calligraphy panel], a figure,

A Japanese

(out of the picture) right

To

zashiki.

the zashiki

in

its

the

morning,

many

home

is

when

easily

the

put

room

different roles.

of Kenju Matsushima,

designed by Hiroshi Osawa.

With

the

closed,

closet

zashiki look as

if

the

panels

in

this

corner

they might lead to another room.

of

the

With the panels open, you see the will

usually also contain

bedding.

closet. Besides clothes,

it

f^i^m^^-i^-^^^^sm^--:The entry court laces the

street.

Observe

cleanliness belore you step onto the

The family gate

is

the fence

paved

and gate

lor privacy,

the gravel lor

court.

a sliding section of fhe larger gate.

For guest use, the entire gate slides to one side.

This Here

house simphfies traditional ideas

a fine example of a newly

needed rooms

the

all It

is

modem plus a

built

home

with

well-developed garden.

belongs to Michio Matsumoto; the architects were

Kodo Matsubara and Tetsuya Ishihara. On these two pages we show you its entry gate and garden.

On

the next four pages

we

are path

still

there:

The entry

main garden onto which the principal rooms open.

The seemingly long entry-path suggests a space sometimes

You

will

difficult

notice on

rooms are that although the gate

parts.

feeling of

on a

to achieve

city

lot.

take a closer look at

the house.

Note

The gate has two

passes through a garden separate from the

and entry are

and somewhat modern-looking,

simplified

traditional

ideas

situated

floor

the to

plan

that the

living

face the garden, whereas

such less-used ones as kitchen, bathroom, and stor-

age rooms are placed

at

one

side.

Floor plan. Notice that the house

placed

to

one side

the most of the the

Inside (he gate, the path leads to the main entry, then

The

light

bamboo

fence at the

left

around

lot,

is

making

garden onto which

main rooms lace.

the corner to the rear entry.

separates entry garden from main garden. The

lacing the path has a grille lor privacy.

of the

window

39

The stone steps and the covered porch are modern and Western. The peeled pole,

and window

grille

are

sliding door, sodegaki,

all traditional.

Modern house: The entry blends the new with the

guests— straw mats to

Mr. Matsumoto provides unusual comforts for

his

on when they take

wear

even two blocks of feet

off their

wood

shoes, slippers to

to stand

on

(after

old inside the house,

right).

Outside the door, note the modern, almost Western, touches: the entry

spirit

the

40

is

still

hedge

contemporary

Japanese. Notice to

its

right.

look of the sodegaki.

how

and

removing the shoes) to keep the

from being chilled by the stone floor (picture at upper

the doorbell, the

sit

And

the line of the sodegaki

yet the is

light,

whole

continued by

2.

The

shikidai

mats lor 3.

and getabako

On bers

the floor plan

show

(he

above, (he num-

camera angles

p/c(ures on (hese two pages.

of (he

Ud

the vestibule are traditional.

Note

The genkan has paving of stone, a shoe cabinet with a modern

and an umbrella

\

in

the

sitting.

stand.

look,

A

simplified version of the

(okonoma

at

one end

Modern house: The parlor and the family room

of (he zashiki contains a flower

In

the

arrangement and a

Matsumoto house,

the zashiki

is

scroll.

kept for re-

ceiving guests or for special family occasions,

and

so functions much as a parlor would. The zashiki is

In

an eight-mat room.

the adjoining room, which can be

opened

to or

closed from the zashiki by means of fusuma, every-

day

family activities are carried on. This

a table set over a recess

in

room has

the floor (which

weather would contain a hibachi for

in

heat).

floor chairs with backs permit Western-style

with the feet

in

the sunken area.

Two

this shelf.

42

sitting,

sitting.

the shelf are the family television, radio,

record player. Bedding

is

The family room

stored is

in

Two

cushions are

placed beside the table for Japanese-style

On

cold

and

a closet next to

a six-mat room.

The adjoining family room opens on

2.

the

side

of

the

zashiki

opposite the tol(.onoma.

At right

3.

1

1

is

the

wood-floor

k?4>ajn

hall

to

which the two rooms open.

III! ,

The numbers on (he floor plan show where the photos were taken.

43

The exterior

ol a multistoried

other photos

at

is

upper

'

In

the

wooden

a while. Then you

first

"..

sou/s

and

often

This sunken

44

tile

tub

lile,

ba/k,

and

ihalch.

The room you see

in

(he

-r- "-

=-

in

is

the tub for

again,

The water

is

and

usually

therapeutic. Hardier

cold water on themselves afterward. is

supplied with hot-springs water (the

Beppu)- more commonly, the tub

inn

is

the

water heated by a

in

••»

next you soak

as a rule the effect

splash

'•

get out and wash

return to the tub for another soak.

very hot,

/he roof malenali:

you wash yourself with water

buc(cef,-

may

Nole

inn.

one, beside the large tree.

this

V" v- V-

Japanese bath,

a small

fron)

Japanese

right in

wood

or gas

is

fire.

wooden and

The floor plan indicates the camera angles

for the

numbered

photos here and on the next two pages. Shown on the plan are two rooms, and the engawa, closet, bath, and entry.

The Japanese inn: Houses in miniature the space of a

Here,

in

room,

plus

and most The maid

an adjoining bath, are

of the parts of a full-scale will

bring

sit

you breakfast,

will bring

will

see that the tokonoma

she

will

open up the

life

of

in

Japanese house. for writing or

on, bedding to sleep on;

she

view. Staying

the functions

all

you a low table

reading, cushions to

to the

and a three-mat

six-mat

is

lunch,

and

dinner. She

properly adorned, and

shoji to the

a Japanese inn

Japan as well as

garden or to the an introduction

is

to the

way

the Japa-

nese house works.

2.

A corner of how simple

(he zashiki it

scroll, flowers,

3.

The

air

cooler

in

the

wall opposite

modern innovation. Note rated lusuma.

the

the

tokonoma

is

a

decorated chest and deco-

4.

has a miniature tokonoma; note

can be. The decoration

and a Japanese

doll

in

The zashiki becomes a bedroom when out from the closet pillow

is

and spread on

a small floor-lamp.

is

a calligraphy

a glass case.

the luton

the floor.

is

brought

Beside the

45

The Japanese

inn:

Magic with shding panels After centuries of experience, the

fined the technique of living secret

is

in

Japanese hove

re-

a small space. The

multiple; they use sliding panels,

which do

not take up usable floor space as hinged doors do,

and which

offer a variety of

openings and closures;

they also use portable appointments (bedding, cush5.

Here

is

a conier o/ (ho zashiki, with Ihe shoji closed. The

horizontal panels on the

top Of bottom for both). floor,

it

IS

left

side

When

can be opened either

low

ions for seating,

tables) that

stowed away when not

in

can be compactly

use.

you ore seated on the

pleasant to have on opening at floor level.

Here,

in

a Japanese

of this versatility.

inn,

is

a demonstration of some

The combinations

sible with the shoji at

left,

offer

of openings pos-

a variety of

visual

experience (and of ventilation). The storage combinations at the right take care of

all

sleeping needs. The main room

9 x 12

anteroom

is

6

x

9

entire

the

panel

that will

the shoji open.

slide

and

feet; the

Those on the

up within each frame,

and

right

the

also slide to Ihe side. This wall opens to

wood-floored engawa,

and a

dressing

feet.

The same corner with

have panels

is

table are placed.

where Western-style

chairs

!T