are
vernacular
A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
houses constructed in any one of several traditional
Japanese building styles.
In the context of the
four divisions of society
The four occupations () or "four categories of the people" ()Hansson, pp. 20-21Brook, 72. was an occupation classification used in ancient China by either Confucian or Legalist scholars as far back as the late Zhou dynasty and is considered a ...
, were the dwellings of farmers, artisans, and merchants (i.e., the three non-
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
s). This connotation no longer exists in the modern Japanese language, and any traditional Japanese-style residence of appropriate age could be referred to as .
![Okugame minka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Okugame_minka.jpg)
are characterized by their basic structure, their roof structure, and their roof shape. developed through history with distinctive styles emerging in the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
.
Types
The term literally means houses of the people. It covers houses that accommodated a wide variety of people from farmers to village headmen, merchants and low level samurai.
[Nishi & Hozumi (1996), p82]
come in a wide range of styles and sizes, largely as a result of differing geographic and climatic conditions as well as the lifestyle of the inhabitants. They generally fall into one of four classifications: farmhouses town houses , fishermen's dwellings and mountain dwellings .
Unlike other forms of
Japanese architecture
has been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors (''fusuma'') and other traditional partitions were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to ...
(such as those of the style), it is the structure rather than the plan that is of primary importance to the .
[Itoh (1979), p44] are divided up with primary posts that form the basic framework and bear the structural load of the building; secondary posts are arranged to suit the functional arrangements of the plan.
[Itoh (1979), p43]
Despite the wide variety of , there are eight basic forms:
* The 'inverted U' consists of two vertical posts fixed at the top with a horizontal beam; these units can then be joined with side girders. The beam can be fixed to the top of the post either by resting upon it or via a
mortise and tenon
A mortise and tenon (occasionally mortice and tenon) joint connects two pieces of wood or other material. Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to join pieces of wood, mainly when the adjoining pieces connect at right ...
joint. This latter method is often found in on the island of
Shikoku
is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...
.
[Itoh (1979), p44]
* The 'ladder' has post and beam units connected with larger beams including beams that are closer to the
foundation
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S.
** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
level. This form of structure originated in townhouses of the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
. The system allows the irregular placement of posts and, therefore, allows flexibility in the plan.
[Itoh (1979), p44]
* With the 'umbrella' style, four beams radiate out from a central post. These posts sit at the centre of the square rather than the corners. of this type are often found in
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the nort ...
.
[Itoh (1979), p45]
* The 'cross' has two beams at right angles to one another with the posts in the centre of the sides. It is often used for very small that have no other posts erected in the space or for large in the earth-floored area. The style is most often found in Shiga and
Fukui
is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or sometimes "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to:
Places
* Fukui Domain, a part of the Japanese han system during the Edo period
* Fukui Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in ...
prefectures.
* 'Parallel crosses' are found in
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...
and cover an area 5 metres by 10 metres. This system doubles up the 'cross' structure with two crosses and eight posts.
* The 'box' structure connects four or more post and beam units to create a box-like structure. It was devised in the Edo period and can be found in
Toyama
Toyama may refer to:
Places and organizations
* Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island
* Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture
* Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...
and
Ishikawa prefectures.
[Itoh (1979), p46]
* The 'interconnected box' can be found in
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
and
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
.
* 'Rising beams' is a form that enables better use of the second storey. It uses beams that rise from the posts to a secondary ridge that is below the one formed by the rafters.
[Itoh (1979), p47]
** Thatched roof farmhouses based upon the 'rising beam' structure can be further classified into four major types. The and the are rare. The latter of these, the , is popular for houses. Far more common are the (also known as ) and the types.
[Itoh (1979), p81]
The style has rafters, crossbeams and short vertical posts to support the ridge. Historically, these posts would have extended to the ground resulting in a row of posts extending down the centre of the house and dividing it. Although these could be accommodated in the layout of the main house, they were impractical in the earth-floored entrance area—so they were omitted and a special beam structure used instead.
[Itoh (1979), p110] This style was in wide use until the Edo period when a shift was made to the style (although both types had been used since historic times).
[Itoh (1979), p84]
The style is a simpler triangular shape with a pair of rafters joined at the top to support the ridge pole. The ends of these rafters were sharpened to fit into mortice holes at either end of crossbeam.
As this system does not rely on central posts it leaves a more unobstructed plan than the style.
[Itoh (1979), p110]
Design of the floor plan
There were two main methods for setting out the floor plan of the . The method uses a standard size of mat, whereas the method is based upon column spacing.
[Engel (1980), p78-81]
The method works well for without central columns as the mats and the sliding partitions ( and ) can be based on a standard size. It was mainly used in in western Japan.
[Itoh (1979), p112] The method has its disadvantages if used with posts because variations in post width can make the prefabrication of the sliding partitions difficult.
[Engel (1980), p78-81]
The method is based upon the distance between centre of one post and centre of the post adjacent to it and it was mainly used on the eastern side of Japan.
[Itoh (1979), p112]
Overall construction
The size, construction and decoration of a was dependent upon its location, climate, and social status of its owner.
[Itoh (1979), p70-72]
were influenced by local building techniques and were built with materials that were abundant in the immediate locality. For example, in Shizuoka used abundant bamboo for roofs, eaves, doors and floors. When
miscanthus
''Miscanthus'', or silvergrass, is a genus of African, Eurasian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family, Poaceae.
; Species
* ''Miscanthus changii'' Y.N.Lee – Korea
* ''Miscanthus depauperatus'' Merr. – the Philippines
* ''Miscanthus ...
reeds were difficult to obtain for thatched roofs, shingles were used instead; in volcanic areas rushes or boards were used instead of clay for the walls.
[Itoh (1979), p118]
Climate had a bearing on construction: In Kyoto in the late
Heian and
Muromachi
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
periods, roofs were clad in thin wooden shingles so owners would put stones on top to prevent the shingles from flying away in the wind.
[Itoh (1979), p124]
The social status of the owner was indicated by the size and complexity of the building. For thatched roof the number of crossed wooden members () or bundles of miscanthus reeds along the ridge are a good indicator of the importance of the owner's status in the village.
[Itoh (1979), p120] For , the presence and elaborateness of an ()—a wall that projects above the roof line—has a similar status. The inherited the function of a fire break, but initially it was a method of establishing the extent of ownership in long terraces of row houses.
[Itoh (1979), p122]
During the evolution of , the townhouses gradually changed its construction away from perishable and flammable materials to those of a more durable nature. Thatched roofs were replaced with tiles and exposed timbers were covered up with layers of clay plastering.
owned by people of a higher social status began to incorporate elements of the
shoin
is a type of audience hall in Japanese architecture that was developed during the Muromachi period. The term originally meant a study and a place for lectures on the sūtra within a temple, but later it came to mean just a drawing room or stu ...
style, particularly in living rooms. The types of elements incorporated were limited by
sumptuary law
Sumptuary laws (from Latin ''sūmptuāriae lēgēs'') are laws that try to regulate consumption. '' Black's Law Dictionary'' defines them as "Laws made for the purpose of restraining luxury or extravagance, particularly against inordinate expendi ...
s to preserve strict class distinctions.
Roofing
There are four types of roof shape that can be differentiated for . Most have gabled roofs, covered in shingles or tiles, and slanting down on either side of the house. The majority of have either thatched -style hipped roofs, which slant down on four sides, or the more elaborate roof with multiple gables and a combination of thatched sections and shingled sections. Finally, the also slopes in four directions but is more pyramidal in shape.
[Fahr-Becker (2001), p196]
The primary purpose of shaping roofs was to accommodate the extensive precipitation experienced in many parts of Japan. A steeply peaked roof allows rain and snow to fall straight off, preventing water from getting through the roof into the home and, to a lesser extent, preventing the thatch from getting too wet and beginning to rot.
At the peak and other places where roof sections came together decorations were added. Thatched roofs would have trimmed or transverse layers of straw, bamboo poles or planks of wood.
Tiled roofs have a variety of decorative plates to the ends of the ridge, for example, (fish). They also had circular plates to the ends of the tiles at the eaves called that helped to deflect rain.
Farmhouse interior
The deep eaves of the farmhouse roof helped to protect the interior from driving rain. They stop the sun from entering the interior during the summer, and they allow the low rays of sun to warm the house during the winter. Often there is a timber-floored veranda () around the house under the eaves and protected on the outside by storm shutters. In areas where there is heavy snow there may be a lowered earth-floored area outside the veranda further protected by shutters which helps to stop snow from blowing inside.
[Itoh (1979), p66-68]
The interior of a was generally divided into two sections: a floor of compacted earth, called a (the precursor to a ''
Genkan
are traditional Japanese entryway areas for a house, apartment, or building, a combination of a porch and a doormat. It is usually located inside the building directly in front of the door. The primary function of is for the removal of sh ...
'') and a raised floor (generally around 20 inches (50 cm) above the level of the ), called a , and, in larger, richer houses, an area or set of rooms covered in tatami or mats, called a .
Large farmhouses sometimes had a raised, timber-floored internal veranda () that separated the and the areas.
In older houses, like the 17th century Yoshimura house, this separating zone was up to 2.5 m wide and servants apparently slept there.
The raised floor often included a built-in hearth, called an . Above the ash-filled hearth would hang a kettle suspended from the ceiling by an adjustable hearth hook made of wood, metal and bamboo. This could be raised or lowered depending on the amount of heat required and was often shaped into decorative fish or blade shapes.
[Fahr-Becker (2001), p191] There was no chimney in the farmhouse and the smoke from the ''irori'' would rise through the roof drying the reeds and deterring insects. The was the centre of communication for the house where the family gathered to chat and eat, and it was a cozy place around which to sleep.
[Fahr-Becker (2001), p193]
Though there were many possible arrangements of the rooms in a home, one of the most common, called , comprised four rooms in the raised floor portion of the house, adjacent to the .
The arrangement and size of these rooms was made more flexible with the use of sliding ''
fusuma
In Japanese architecture, are vertical rectangular panels which can slide from side to side to redefine spaces within a room, or act as doors. They typically measure about wide by tall, the same size as a ''tatami'' mat, and are thick. The ...
'' and ''
shōji
A is a door, window or room divider used in traditional Japanese architecture, consisting of translucent (or transparent) sheets on a lattice frame. Where light transmission is not needed, the similar but opaque ''fusuma'' is used (oshiire/ ...
'' partitions.
[Itoh (1979), p27]
The social status of the owner of house governed the conventions of their social relationships in the house. For example, the lowliest ranked people would sit on the earth floor whilst those above them would sit on the and those above them on the floored inner rooms. Honoured guests would sit next with their back to the .
[Itoh (1979), p72] The requirements for social etiquette extended to the family and there were particular seating positions () positioned around the hearth.
Typical Edo period farmhouses
A number of styles of farmhouses came to maturity during the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
; some typical examples follow.
Gasshou
The -style have vast roofs that are a large form of the structural system. Their name derives from the similarity of the roof shape to two hands in prayer. They are frequently found in Gifu Prefecture.
[Itoh (1979), p150] The upper floors of the two- and three-story houses are used for
sericulture
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, ''Bombyx mori'' (the caterpillar of the domestic silkmoth) is the most widely used and intensively studie ...
, with storage space for trays of silkworms and mulberry leaves.
[Fahr-Becker (2001), p194]
Honmune
literally means "true ridge": The style has a nearly square plan with a gabled roof that is board covered. The gable end of the house is particularly impressive with its composition of beams, eaves and braces. The gable is topped by a birdlike ornament called a .
[Itoh (1979), p150] Houses of this type can be found in Gunma, Nara, Yamaguchi and Kouchi prefectures.
Preservation
are generally treated as historic
landmark
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances.
In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...
s, and many have been designated for preservation by municipalities or the national government. The tremendous regional variation of has also been preserved in
open-air museum
An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum.
Definition
Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere ...
s such as
Nihon Minka-en
is a park in the of Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. On display in the park is a collection of 20 traditional ' (farm houses) from various parts of Japan, especially thatched-roofed houses from eastern Japan. Of these, nine ha ...
in
Kawasaki, where examples from around Japan are on display. Minka have also been used as hotels and restaurants to be preserved.
Of particular note is the , which is preserved in two villages in central Japan —
Shirakawa in
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, F ...
and
Gokayama
is an area within the city of Nanto, Toyama, Nanto in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its traditional ''gasshō-zukuri'' houses, alongside nearby Shirakawa, Gifu (village), Shirakawa-gō i ...
in
Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 1,044,588 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...
— that together have been designated a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
.
In 1997, the Japan Minka Reuse and Recycle Association (JMRA) was established to promote the benefits and conservation of . One that belonged to the Yonezu family was acquired by the JMRA and donated to
Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1840, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...
as part of the Japan 2001 Festival. The wooden structure was dismantled, shipped and re-assembled in Kew with new walls and a thatched roof.
See also
*
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama
The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cultural property consists of three historic mountain villages over an area of in the remote Shogawa river valley, stretching across the borde ...
*
Nihon Minka-en
is a park in the of Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. On display in the park is a collection of 20 traditional ' (farm houses) from various parts of Japan, especially thatched-roofed houses from eastern Japan. Of these, nine ha ...
*
A-frame house
An A-frame house or other A-frame building is an architectural house or building style featuring steeply-angled sides (roofline) that usually begin at or near the foundation line, and meet at the top in the shape of the letter A. An A-frame ...
*
Machiya
are traditional wooden townhouses found throughout Japan and typified in the historical capital of Kyoto. (townhouses) and (farm dwellings) constitute the two categories of Japanese vernacular architecture known as (folk dwellings).
orig ...
Footnotes
References
*
*
*
*Japan Live. (2020). Komika. 2nd ed.
*
Further reading
*Suzuki Mitsuru (1985). "Minka."
Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
*Taro Sakamoto, et al. (1964).
''Fuzoku jiten'' (A Dictionary of Popular Culture). Tokyo: KK Tokyodō
External links
The Herbert Offen Research Collection of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum
{{Coord, 36, 24, N, 136, 53, E, source:eswiki_type:landmark, display=title
Architecture in Japan
Japanese home
Timber framed buildings
Vernacular architecture
Thatched buildings