The Japanese House-Its Interior and Exterior (Art Ebook)

THE JAPANESE HOUSE
Its
Interior
and
Exterior
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THE JAPANESE HOUSE

Its Interior
and Exterior
by Tatsuo and Kiyoko
BONANZA BOOKS
Isliimoto
NEW YORK
Books by Tatsuo
Isliinioto
THE ART OF FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

THE ART OF THE JAPANESE GARDEN
THE ART OF
GROWING
MINIATURE
THE ART OF DRIFTWOOD

THE ART OF PLANT
AND
TREES,
DRIED
PLANTS
AND LANDSCAPES
ARRANGEMENTS
AND DRIFTWOOD ARRANGEMENT
A TREASURY OF JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS

A TREASURY OF DRIFTWOOD ARRANGEMENTS
MCMLXIII
by Crown
This edition published
Publishers, Inc. Library ol
by Bonanza Books, a
Congress Catalog Card Number-. 63-12066 Printed
division of
Crown
Publishers, Inc.
in
the U.S.A.
o b c d e
fi
CONTENTS
64
6
Introduction
How
the fusuma partitions work

a bedroom-dressing room
in
10
look at Japanese houses
66
Just three
12
In
today's Japan
68
Three rooms: Variety out of simplicity
16
Now
70
This
17
The vocabulary of the Japanese house
20
let's visit
The entry gate leads
first
modern house has

Western-style rooms downstairs,
Japanese-style rooms upstairs
to a garden,
then to the house
72
Japanese rooms
At the gen/can (entry vestibule)
75
The Japanese house
76
Japanese and Western, side by side
78
Innovations: Kitchen, bath, laundry
81
The garden has varied aspects
82
Japanese-style garden, and a tea
you take
off
22
The floor
is
24
The
26
some Japanese houses
rooms, but what a variety of space
In
your shoes
mat
resilient tatam'i
are sliding panels ffusumoj
interior walls
the zashiki (principal
room)
upstairs
transition
in
room
84
The Japanese screen has many uses
Exterior wall panels Isbojl)
86
An
88
/secho; The gate
30
away to reveal the garden

The engawa invites you into the garden
32
From the
the focus
28
is
tokonoma
the
slide
front gate to the front
door
island
garden screens
and
this
entry
the entry
90
Tsuitate:
94
The tokonoma
97
Nine-mat room with a low folding screen
The single-panel screen

is
sized to the
room
34
Where
36
The floor plan
37
100
The traditional tea-house entry
102
A place for brewing tea

A touch of old Japan
A room for the tea ceremony,
42
The Japanese room has many functions

This modern house simplifies traditional ideas
Modern house:
The entry blends the new with the old
Modern house; The parlor and the family room
44
The Japanese
Houses
109
38
40
to leave your shoes
46
The Japanese
48
You can open
50
In
is
98
flexible
inn:
inn:
Magic
the wall
in
in
miniature
different
54
Through a Japanese house:

garden

Achieving airy space
Here is a modern Japanese house

Japanese and Western ideas
come
62
In
together
in
a single room
a Japanese room
you can
select
your garden view
ceremony
American adaptations:
windows
Using shoji panels over
110
Shoji as
12
Just
room
dividers
a few Japanese touches indoors,
and a garden outdoors
walk through a Japanese house
Past an interior
60
ways
special house for the tea
modern and simple
the center of the room,
52
58
106
with sliding panels
a table over a floor recess
56
104
14
The garden creates the view from indoors
16
Adaptations inside the house
18
Adaptations
120
tansu,
1
22
in
the
garden and on the
Decorating with screen,
street
scroll,
and bonsai
More ways Americans
use the tansu
124
In
America, the fun of a Japanese room
126
In
America, the fun of a Japanese room
128
Glossary
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INTRODUCTION
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In
the
last
decade or so America has been "discovering" Japan. One
Japanese idea
after
another has crossed the Pacific to add variety and fresh-
ness to our daily living. Americans already
know and appreciate Japanese
flower arrangement, Japanese garden design, and bonso/, the art of growing
miniature trees
in
of these subjects
containers.
and
all
Imports from Japan increase

to
us are such traditional
'The
fKr\
the nineteen-fifties
in
quantity
and
things as folk
ol Flower Arrangement,
Miniature Trees, Plants
In
published books on each
proved popular.*
The Art of
and Landscapes
the
variety
each year.
pottery, such
Now
coming
modern, competitive
Japanese Garden, The Art of Crowing
items as cameras, binoculars, tape recorders,
and portable
such utilitarian architectural objects as shoji
and lusuma
lamp
plastic
fixtures,
television sets,
and
screens, paper
and
zabufon pillows, and tatami mats.
Japanese architectural ideas caught on
enough,
naturally
first,
state.
standard American oak or
and adapting them
also been adopting Japanese architectural ideas
One
ican needs.
thing that particularly
(see page 124), which
is
enthusiasm
their
House
print.
Japan and,
August 1960
Beauliful's
the
is
Amer-
engowo
recently built houses.
in
editors have visited
to
expressed
later,
sh'ibui
issue
aroused
here. Sunset, the popular West Coast magazine, has published
great interest
numerous
in
appeals to Californians
used again and again
Many American magazine
the floor
recent years, California architects have
In
tile.
fiftieth
Nakashima
is
when
or O'Brien, frequently use both shoji and fusuma screens, even

is
the
in
Hawaiian houses today, whether the householder's name
articles
tectural features.
on how
to
adapt
engawa, and other Japanese
shoji,
And, of course, the Museum
of
City put a complete Japanese house on display
Modern
in
the
Art
archi-
New
in
York
museum garden as
early as 1953.
Today you
will
see
new houses
in
Japan
built
stucco, glass. But the classic Japanese house
some
auxiliary use of paper,
the traditional
and
The
its
was
built basically of
or thatch, plaster,
tile
Japanese house.
with concrete, steel, masonry,
It
is
still
and
classic
house
stories, with
shingles.
is
framed
in
wood,
in
classic form,
its
now going up
posts supporting beams.
a gable or hip-and-gable roof covered
The foundation
in
with
stone. Let's consider
being constructed
design influences even the westernized houses
wood,
tile,
It
is
in
Japan.
one or two
thatch, or
consists of large natural stones set into the
wood
ground
to
support the posts. The frame of posts carries the roof load; most of the walls
are sliding shoji screens. The interior walls are mostly sliding fusuma screenpartitions.
The floors are
about three by
thick tatami mats,
six feet in
size.
These mats
determine the size of the rooms and the size of the house; they are the
module. Because the tatami
is
soft,
you do not wear shoes indoors
in
Japanese house.
The garden
it
is
is
part of the
Japanese house.
It
may be postage-stamp
designed for viewing from indoors, with the
shoji rolled back.
are several small gardens, to be enjoyed from different rooms.
size, but
Often there
Even though the Japanese house has always been a handcrafted structure,
design has much
in
fabricated houses
in
common
with that of
The
the United States today.
use of a uniform module
in
architecture.
chief reason
is
pre-
the universal
Japan, the three- by six-foot tatami mat.
Japanese houses also have much
contemporary
modern mass-production and
its
in
common
Modern houses
with the West's
modern and
America usually make a merit
in
of simplicity even austerity in such things as wall surfaces. Natural materials
are
left
rooms
natural,
in
redwood
or pine stained but not painted.
In
many
instances,
our modern houses have one or more walls of glass looking out on
intimate gardens enclosed with simple fencing. Occasionally a glass wall
is
designed to be rolled back so that you can step directly out of doors. Our
present-day houses are often modular too, the most
common module
four by eight feet (mass-produced four-by-eight panels are available
today
tion
in
everything from
board,
asbestos-cement
houses generally are so

posts
gypsum wallboard
and beams
to
of the house frame
in
plain
is
these
What
is
so-called
centuries!
interesting
"modern"
is
that today's
characteristics,
insula-
Contemporary
revealed you can see the
view within rooms.
Here, then, are half a dozen distinctive features of

houses.
materials).
being
America
plywood, hardboard,
and other
board,
built that the structure
in
many
of America's newest
Japanese houses also have
and they
have
had
all
them
of
for
power
straw thatch roofs, the privacy hedge, and the rr)odern
crowd together
City houses
Traditional Japanese country houses near Kyoto. Notice the rice-
the
pole.
small
garden
behind
Fukuoka. Most roots are
in
the
near
house
fhe
tile.
boKom
Note
of
the
photograph.
look at Japanese houses
Here, to
in.
only a
are a few pictures of the houses the Japanese build and
start,
When
you look down from a

sea
tossed
of
roofs,
hill
on a Japanese town, at
every
twisting
way
(the
second
first
its
at right angles to
each other, and here and there a
the country there
is
owner may
shut
it
off
bits
gable.
of private garden.
more room, but one
carries over into rural areas. Even
if
characteristic of the city
a sweeping view
is
at hand, the
house
home-
from the ground floor with a hedge, fence, or wall, to
create an intimate and private garden.

the upper floor will take advantage
10
its
tree raises
head. Occasionally you can glimpse other patches of green crowded as
they are, these houses have their
In
you see
photograph
above). But after a time you notice additional details: Every roof has
The gables run
live
If
his
is
a two-story house, as a rule
of the view.
Even
in
the country, most
^#^
Sireetside
in
good
fence separating
it
residential area. Entry gate
from the
street.
is
roofed, with a
Streetside
The house faces a rear garden.
in
a seniiijusiness area. The family
the store at street level.
lives
upstairs,
above
The house next door has an entry garden
behind the fence.
houses are inward-turning. They
turn their
backs on
street or
road and look
inward toward a private and intimate garden.
Roads and
muddy
season,
rapidly
times
streets in
in
still
in
Japan have
the
rain.
both towns and
This
rural
traditionally
is
been of
dirt,
changing now; paving
dusty
is
in
the dry
going ahead
neighborhoods. But dust and mud are some-
a problem, as once they always were, and they have had an
influ-
ence on Japanese house design.
At the entry you
will
usually cross a bit of paving or
The homeowner frequently wets
this
an area of loose stones.
area down, to lay the dust and to create
a clean, fresh transition between road and house.
Mud and
is
raised
dust are also
one reason why
and one reason
wear as you
it
has
become
the floor level of the

the custom to
Japanese house
remove outdoor
foot-
enter.
Country: The narrow

is
dirt
road posses a
Country
rice field. In the distance
a cluster of country houses.
village:
ing bicycle also
The road
is
dirt.
is
"driving
Walkers keep
lelt,"
as
in
to the left.
..
Oncom-
England.
In today's Japan
A serious look
way of life is
at the
Japanese house must begin with a look
different
from ours. Most Japanese
still
at the
dress
Japanese people. Their
differently
from
Westerners,
although more and more are wearing Western-style clothing at least part of the time.
The Japanese
would
fish
call
sit
differently
a bed), eat
(and without chairs at home), sleep differently (without what
differently (with chopsticks),
and dried seaweed). And
all
of
these
and eat
differences
different
foods (including
have affected the design
of
we
raw
the
Japanese house.
Consider the
street
Turn the page to meet more of today's

but
12
who go home to the Japanese house.

from home most of them at work,
away
Japanese
scenes here. These are the people
two playing a game!
."*
City:
This
Nagoya
Notice the variety
Sidewalk
Irutt
s/dewo/k
in
stand:
is
paved
but the street
still
is
gravel.
Note
Western and Japanese
the
dress.
pay telephone;
Shopping: This couple wear the traditional Japanese summer costume.
street dress.
also the mixture of
Men everywhere
Sidewalk
signs,
in
in
Japan walk
in
geta
like
these.
Tokyo: Notice the hanging paper lanterns, the gay
and here again,
the variety ol dress.
The riverman
The landscapers
The larmer
Here are a few of today's Japanese,

busy outdoors and indoors
Here are some twenty Japanese
Most Westerners
find
it
at
work and two
at play.
Notice
how
they
very uncomfortable to assume these positions,
sit
(or kneel).
but the Japanese
have used them since childhood. Note, too, the height and nature of the benches and
And how many people are

tools with which
this
At home, these people

they
sit
(in
using
their
hands. The
traditionally handicraft
live in
much
the
hands almost by themselves are
nation has accomplished
same manner as
at work.
reasonable comfort, on zabuton) directly on the
itself).
Flower-arranging
tea can be a tradition-shaped
is
its
the
work.
They use very
floor.
handicraft procedure (including the cutting up of the vegetables

of the meal
tables.
Cooking
and meat, and
little
at
furniture;
home
is
the designing
an art-handicraft practiced constantly. The serving of
ceremony too elaborate
to discuss here, but again a personal,
handcrafted performance.
So perhaps
The s/7kwoshers
it
is
only natural that such a handicraft people should
The lence-mal<.er
The
live in
salesgirl
handcrafted houses.
The salesman
The gcla-maker
The sealood-sorler
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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.
J^M
J^2
P*'
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
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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
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
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
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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 kamoisix 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
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
iôko-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
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.
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
be
typical size for
six to
about the
size of
ever, this
space
readily
^
'" I"
'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
gaku
arrangement, a pottery
telephone). At the right
is
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
fî^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,
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.
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
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
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
<:ilS>!T<!.mi!TT!iin^'
6.
In
anteroom, the closet
the
width of a tatami mat (three
When
the
fusuma
is
pushed
door and two drawers.
This
is
closed by fusumo the
feet).
This
to the right,
is
the
tor small items.
7.
When
the
fusuma
is
pushed
to
the
left,
inset.
you see open
shelves for bedding (futon).
side.
sliding shell,
Right-hand side of the closet. Nofice the design on the
lower part of the fusuma and the square handhold
the left side.
you see hinged
wardrobe
The wardrobe contains a clothespole, a

drawers
is
and
8.
Opposite the cioie;
is
o Japanese clotheshanger, with
hooks and bars for clothes. Below are kimonos folded

in
a box.
'
n:iH]:unn!om
nnnnnnfinnnnnn!
'ifinmiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiif
Here
the wall
winter.
is
closed, os
The translucent
if
s/io/i
usuo//y
admit
is
at nighttime
and
These
in
You can open the wall

in
horizontally.
tern
the
this
room are paper
The glass
you see below
wallpaper.
garden to another wing of the
on the room opposite.
48
is
in
shoji
inn.
is
divisions vertically.
slid
Here
the
lower
upward.
ways
another Japanese
shoji plus sliding glass.
slides horizontally.
the shoji
have nine
each
in different
These photographs take you into a six-tatami room
The walls
shoji
third of
light.
The
shoji
inn,
Seigaso
open both
in
Kobe.
vertically
and
Each wall opens to a different garden view. The patIn
the large picture at the right,
The outdoor blinds are
fully let
you can see across
down
in
front of the shoji
|iK*- -^.m
3.
The table
is
three leet square, the size ol hall a tatami mat.
wall with a scroll
50
and a llower arrangement.
Beyond
is
the
tokonoma
Bk
'T.i^^^yK'
4.
You
sil
on a cushion on the
wood
the
flooring of the
floor, with
wooden
tokonoma beyond
ormresi (kyosoku) beside you. Notice
the tatami.
In the center of the room, a table over a floor recess

Here you see one way the Japanese achieve comfort
recess under the table can
times
an
electric heater
accommodate a
in
winter.
The floor
charcoal-fired hibachi or some-
(note the electric outlet
in
the picture
on opposite
page).
You
sit
at this table with your feet
right at the table,
in
the floor recess.
sometimes over an
electric hot plate.
The table can be removed and a half-tatami slipped

the
room back
Cooking may take place
into
place here, changing
to a conventional all-tatami floor.
51
^S3^-f^-.ff^'!^^":i
I.
Once you
sell in
this
'^1^
ore through ihe main gate, you find yourentry garden.
Each year new bamboos
and old ones removed,
ore selected
keep the
to
unchanging as possible.
spatial effect as
2.
The stone entry path leads you

(with doorbell at the right):
sideways
light
A walk
the entry garden. Here,
Mr. and Mrs. Takeo

sion
is
one
in
Manabe, your
the
home
first
of pleasant anticipation,
of
impres-
aroused
by the garden, the gate, the fencing, and the

entry path. The entry to
this
more elaborate than most,
house
in
is
somewhat
that there are
separate doors for the family and for guests.
The house was designed by Isoya Yoshida and

the garden by
was
pictured
in
Eiijiro
Nunokawa.
my book. The
(The garden
Art of the Jap-
anese Garden.) Take a look here at what
beyond
52
to the family
mailbox).
through a Japanese house
The character of a Japanese house establishes

itself in
and
the gate.
lies
to
the guest
gate
two stepping-stones lead
entrance (which has the entry
3.
Beyond
the guest gate,
you come
side the guest entry to the house.

/or
the comfort of waiting callers,
door
house. Stepping-stones
to the
(o
a porch out-
Note
the
bench
and
the
sliding
lead
to the
(left)
rear garden.
4.
(Right)
The
sliding front
genkan
with
Beyond
is
door leads
to
a tile-paved
polished shikidai for removing shoes.
on interesting
vista
through the house to
the garden.
cPa--rfV3
(>WcPo
The numbers on the plan show camera angles
for the
photographs on these and the next four pages. Note

the progression of
garden space, including
the interior
garden, as you walk through the house.
53
Tlirougii a
Japanese house:
Past an
interior
6.
(Below)
Down
garden
the hall:
a glassed-in
bamboo
g-arden.
5.
Opposite the
shikidai:
display shelves
and a
trans-
lucent panel.
7.
Opposite the
bomboo garden, a
display niche.
8.
On
Like
the other side of the translucent
many present-day Japanese
one
has
both
and
Japanese
panel
in
houses,
the shikidai
this
Western-style
rooms. The view of the corridor and main room

of the
Manobe house shows
the
Japanese
spirit
holding up under westernization: The hallway

takes a turn
planted
in
and leaves room
bamboo and a
for
tiny
garden
niche for the display
area
is
an alcove next
of a pottery piece.
ness
to
Bamboo
the tokonoma.
symbolizes straight-
and honesty.
Note
the use of the translucent panel
the shikidai area
and
the main
between
Japanese room,
to carry light through the interior of the house.
Note
also the round
part of the
framework
peeled
poles that are
of the house.
55
9.
Translucent shoji are spacious

their effect
in
ellect
when
closed;
when open
in
any
of their
many combinations
(see also
page
631,
can be astonishing.

Achieving airy space
The Manabe house
is
a large house, and so
it
effectively
demonstrates the ability of the Japa-
nese style to manipulate space dramatically and pleasingly. The zashiki here
the adjoining
room
is
is
a ten-mat room,-
an eight-mat room. Separately or thrown together, they seem spacious
indeed.
This
is
also a
modern house, despite
how, with modern technology,

fect the
to the
56
Japanese have always
garden even
in
the traditional
the architect
striven for.
The
appearance
was able
of
Japanese rooms. Note
to exploit glass to accentuate the ef-
sliding glass panels
cool weather, and the ceiling
its
light fixture
allow o horizontal opening
has the effect of a skylight.
JO.
Wilh the fusuma closed

next
one,
but
notice
this
the
room
open
is
separated from the
space
above,
carries the spatial ellect of the ceiling plane

the
II.
temporary wall
traditional
tansu
on beyond
or chesf provides
handholds).
it
With the lusuma

the
slid back and the lower panels o/ the shoji open,

room gains great depth in two directions. Engawa and garden
are to the
right,
beyond
sliding glass panels that afford
weather
protection without shutting out the view.
line.
and storage drawers;

ability (note
which
is
made
in
wardrobe space
sections
for
port-
12.
This
cabinet
writing
is
a bunko, made
equipment.
similar to that of
to
The staggered
hold stationery and

shelf
arrangement
is
a chigai-dana.
57
Kuniyoshi
Wakayama
built this
photographs were made
was
just
in
in
1957. The
when
the house
house
1961
four years old. The architect
was Kodo
Matsubara.
This
house mixes the past with the present. As the
plan shows,
rooms, both
it
has both modern rooms and tatami
sliding
fusuma walls and fixed Western-
style walls.
The floor plan also shows the many storage wailunits the
house has, each the size of one tatami.
Notice, however, that the main hallway running the

length of the house
room
Here
58
is
at
bottom
does not have
right
on the plan
tatami.
is
an
modern Japanese
The large
office
room.
lionse
The
f-fere
front
is
below,
doors
at right slide to
another getabako.
sliding
panels
of
There
frosted
Mondrian-like division of the glass

of
Japanese practice, but notice
poles set into the wall.
open. The house
are
glass
is
sliding
doors
above.
not at
all
the traditional
is
The
typical
rounded
stucco with a concrete loundation, stone facing,
Entrance
hall.
off
floor
in
in
when you
the right, with

this
tile
roof.
You remove your shoes here and put on
These you wear

them
and
all
modern rooms
enter any tatami room.
small shoji
entry
is
with
hard
Note
floors.
the
slippers.
You
getabako
slip
at
above and a flower arrangement. The
polished pebble concrete.
59
This
is
the
Western side of
the room,
lusuma behind the chair (see arrow
complete with table and

on Floor Plan, page
62j.
chairs.
Note
the
double
And
this
is
the
Japanese, or tatami, side.
Cabinet and storage shelves can be seen
It
in
is
winter, so
the wall
a blanket
is
used
to
conserve the charcoal heat below the table.
under fhe stairway.
Japanese and Western ideas
come together
in a single
room
today's Japanese houses, Japanese and Western ideas sometimes share
In
the
same
interior
space.
and Western-style
Japanese
This
part
room
is
vision
this
cose,
of the
room has a wood

and
is
floor
outfitted
in
also shows a typical use for storage of the space under a staircase;
shelves, part shelves closed off
clock, teacups
Also noteworthy
is
and
the shoji pattern
leads, note the Floor Plan
by
sliding panels.
Note
the tele-
trophies.
outdoor space beyond, rather than

it
one end
other has a tatami floor
style.
open
and
In
furniture; the
on the fusuma
just
another
at the
interior
left,
which suggests
space. To see where
on page 62.
6?
With the
shoji
closed,
Ihe
only decor
framed calligraphy high on the
In a Japanese
yon can
cm
see
is
the
wall.
room
select
yonr garden view
On
bers
62
the
floor plan
show
the
pictures here
above, the num-
camera angles
and on
of the
the next pages.
Wilh
Over
in
the
ihe
shoj/
you
hall-open,
see
composition iromed
the centuries, the aesthetic use of the shoji wall
home
has
become a
hallmark of Japanese
architecture. Literally, the shoji wall
What
o garden
it
openings,
conceals
is
and
planned
reveals,
is
with
and designed
manipulated.
its
with
different
to the
water garden. You can see no treetops, no
What you are directed

from the bamboo pipe, the
sky.
This picture, as
above, your eye
is
to see
is
water
pool catching
the bridge over the pool enticing
why
the picture
a work of art (see arrow 2 on Floor Plan).
spilling
it,
and
you onward.
utmost
care.
In
like
drawn downward
much as any
the art of the
of the
in
the book, explains
Japanese house
is
also the art
Japanese garden.
63
3.
Here you see

the
one
How
the wile's vanity
at the left
the
go
clothing
in
hont of a
and
sliding
fusuma fshe
sits
on the
tatami).
Behind
this
fvsuma and
also bedding.
fusuma
partitious
a bedroom-dressinsf
room
work
The
in
fusuma are the secret of the economical
sliding
use of interior space
in
Japanese houses, and also
of their deceptive sense of spaciousness.
The checkerboard pattern of the fusuma you see

here
may seem
known as
very contemporary. Actually,
the katsura design
and goes back
it
is
to the
early seventeenth century.
The framed
wedding
radio.
is
64
a doll
picture
portrait.
Appearing
in
above
On
in
a glass case.
the fusuma
the
is
the couple's
floor at the
left
is
photographs on these pages
4.
The fusuma opens at the
left
to
reveal a long hallway,
which runs the length of the house.
The same fusuma opens
way
at the right to reveal
a shorf
leading to a family-style larger room (see
The fusuma above, closed, are

view, the
bedroom
(he
room seems larger than
it
is.
wall.
page
hall-
6)
J.
With no
lurniture
These lusuma are tatami-size.
in
Just three
rooiiis, ])iit
what a variety
of space
The following four pages show three rooms
Wakayama
adjoining
room containing
three-mat
anteroom.
the
All
the family shrine,
and a
photographs
were
nine
taken from inside the zashiki.
way
in
house: an eight-mat zashiki, a six-mat
to demonstrate
how
the
know
of
no
better
Japanese house uses
the simplest of methods to achieve an astonishing

variety
Exterior wall:
lused
look
light
like
The closed
shoji
shed a pleasingly
throughout the six-mat room. At
decorated lusuma are
specially
doors (shown also
in
the pictures
right,
dil-
what
really lolding
and even complexity
Though the
principal
sliding panels (fusuma

find
an unusual
serve usable space.
J.
Exterior wall (same
view as above): The open shoji
reveal a wood-floored
engowa
with
ing glass panels, curtains (something
and
the
garden beyond. The end of
closed off by
66
shoji.
goza
new
the
mat,
in
slid-
Japan),
engawa
is
means are simple surfaces and

and
shoji),
set of bifold
on the lacing page).
of spatial experience.
here
in
addition
we
doors, which also con-
2.
The lolding doors seen

left
in
the
photograph
at the far
are open here to reveal the butsudan, or lamily
Buddhist shrine, set
in
a special alcove.
With the folding doors of the shrine open, you can see
its
ornate
interior.
Note
the raised floor of the shrine
alcove.
The floor plan shows the position of the camera
for
each numbered photograph.
67
3.
This
pair
in
4.
the side of the
is
page
66.
is
fhe
room opposite from
the
engawa shown on
The shrine doors are closed, as are
V/2 rnats wide].
open spoce above
Fusuma close
off
gaku (painting and
the
lusuma (each
inscription]
hangs
the Ivsurrta.
of these fusuma open, see
page
opened and
24.
the
A mask
Note
the
fusuma are open, ihey extend the space of (he six-mof
room by fhree
serves
as
closet of
the zashiki from the smaller room.
panels above: they can also be
When
5.
mats,
or
about 54 square
feet.
This
an anteroom from the hallway beyond;
small
it
room
contains
one-mat dimension (see plan, preceding page].
The fusuma between the zashiki and the hallway are
full
tatami
closed. For a view
width; grillwork divides the pair into three parts to repeat the
adorns the wall.
design of the upper part of the fusuma shown at

of the
tokonoma appears
at the right.
left.
corner
6.
The tol.onoma
lills
small translucent
is
at the
one end
o/ (he zashiki,
window behind
and looks
and
the shell,
the
richly
adorned despite
modernized version of
Note
the simpHcily of the objects displayed.

the
tokonoma post
(toko-bashira]. The
the
engawa
right.
Three rooms: variety out of simplicity

Continuing, from the
one room
is
can do the same

closed
Note
off
also
panels
last
page, our examination of the
suite of three
rooms, here
used to enlarge the space of an adjoining room. An alcove

thing,
and
in
like
addition provide a focus of interest for the
we
the
how
see
tokonoma
room when
it
is
from the garden.
one
may be
of the subtleties of the

simplicity
width of the panels and
itself,
in
Japanese
the interior
is
interior.
Although any one of the
kept from being
monotonous by
sliding wall
variations
in
the
the design. Here are four different panel designs, including that of
the shoji.
69
The open living-dining area
This
is
divided only by (he fwo-woy fireplace. No/e the sliding translucent panels
modem
the
in
background.
house has Western-style
rooms downstah^s, Japanese-style rooms upstairs

The
traditional
Japanese house
is
so well worked
out for Japanese needs that the Japanese have not

tried
to
adapt more than a few of
changing modes of
often
build
style
rooms.
Kiyoshi
70
details to
Instead, they will
more
separate Western-style and JapaneseIn
Makino
ent kinds of
living.
its
this
for
house, designed
by architect
Minoru Segawa, the two
rooms are on separate
floors.
differ-
fr
M^^lmf^ --^
*f^'
>
>*>
fesl/i
^^'
dff>S^/i^,
The modern
(At right)
11-î^r-^-"-
living
window and a
to
mkâu
-
'
room here has roll-away
The carpeted stairway
shoji-panel
- u
the
glass instead of shoji,
second
daylit plant box.
lloor has a
and opens onio a
terrace with a traditional garden.
Japanese
rooms upstairs
Upstairs, the
Japanese rooms look exceedingly un-
cluttered
comparison with the Western rooms
in
downstairs. This house
is
unusual
in
Japan
in
that
it
has heating; therefore, the shoji also have accom-
panying glass panels.

/.
Looking from
engawa
side ol ihe eighl-tatami room,
see the fokonomo on the
room
the
3.
(Below) This small garden on the second floor occupies the space of
the sky, walled on
bamboo engawa
two
in
sides,
open
to
the foreground.
a screen panel, and two
sfioji
rooms on two sides
The
panels;
six-foot
all
slide
opening
on
(rocks.
(this
to the
view
(entry from the hallj
garden
ffiree
is
left,
mafs
in
Ihe
fusuma
the center,
at the right.
f6 x
feet).
It
is
open
to
from the larger room}. Note the
anteroom
at the left
has two glass panels,
to the
and
you
three-mat
the shoii to
2.
This
view
is
Irom the entrance to (he three-totami
anteroom. Note
composed
4.
From
is
how
picture (hrough
the entrance to the large
adorned
with
glass panels are
shade from
(he
garden makes a perfectly
scroll
more
and a
like
the sun. At this
(his
end
the
engawa on
on a pedestal. Note
windows, since
of the
two pages. The
(he
camera angles
stair
is
of (he pictures
on these
pictured on the preceding page.
opening.
room you can see

doll
Numbers show
this
room
is
there
(he far side.
the furniture
on
the
The tokonoma
engowa. Beyond,
at the right
(he sliding
a second-story room. Hanging bamboo screens provide

is
open space over
the shoji,
which here are not exterior
wall panels.
73
sfone wall (with simple gates]
and
double degree ol privacy from the
tall
planting behind provide a
street.
Both gales open. Despite the modern treatment o/ the wall, the
double gate
1.
is
The outside
a traditional idea. Steps lead
entry,
2.
The entrance
hall
has a
does have a getabako

entry.
and hinged door are modern
stone step,
touches, but the execution
is
in
wood
(left).
to the entry.
the
floor:
Japanese
it
spirit.
has no kutsunugi-ishi, bu/
The floor
is
one step above
the
3.
The tokonoma
still
graces the best room
in
the house.
This
somewhat modernized one
The Japanese house

The lesson of
much
This
is
this
house
individualists as
is
that the
anyone
Japanese
some
else
when
it
comes
tradition
parts of the
m transition
for oil their long tradition,
a house cannot be separated from

in
the
just
as
Hidezo Sato. The house has Japa-
room, and Western rooms, including a modern
garden are done
can be
to building a house.
the house of Sotoji Tanaka, designed by architect
nese rooms, including a tea

to
Japanese people,
traditional look.
retains the
its
kitchen.
garden, and so
Japanese manner and some
in
in
According
this
instance
the Western, to
match the rooms that open onto them. (For camera angles, see the arrow numbers on the
Floor Plan,
page
76.)
75
4.
This shoji-enc/osed
room seems pure Japanese except
people
room can be seen on
in
the next
the shoji.
for the cabinet
Zabulon
lor
and
the picture on the wall.
Note
shadows
that the
sealing are placed around the horigotatsu,
the
ol
movable
table set over a floor recess.
Japanese and Western,

side
by
side
one way
Here
is
style
rooms
to place
side by side.
Japanese and WesternNotice
rooms become one large room by

ess of sliding
away
how two
small
the simple proc-
the wall that divides them.
'0
Numbers
refer to
camera angles
for the
pages, these two pages, and the next
76
photographs on
six
pages.
the
two preceding
Slide
and
5.
back
built-in
the shoji,
Seen from
the table
and
the
Japanese room opens
(o
a Western room, complete with rug on the
cabinetwork. The floor and ceiling tracks mark the dividing

the
Western room,
the
Japanese room appears spacious indeed, although
can be covered by a section
of tatami.
^-
floor, furniture,
hinged door,
line.
it
is
just
7V2 mats. The recess under
Innovations
in kitchen, bath,
Until relatively recently, short
limited the
it
far less
elaborate than that found
American homes. The Tanaka house suggests
6.
78
supply and great cost
mechanical equipment of the Japanese
house, keeping
in
and laundry
This
gleaming kitchen has a
stainless steel sink
that
a change
is
beginning to take place.
laundry look to the

bath
new
West
all
materials have simply been
the
kitchen
for innovations, but
old form.
and counter and
Its
modern appliances.
adapted
and
in
to
the
an
7.
An innovation
in
closure next (o
tile
floor.
An
/(
the bath
(with
innovation
is
the use of
two boards on
in
the laundry
tile
in
topi,
is
the
the tub,
on the
wall,
and on
cool water lor washing and
the floor. Here, the tub holds hot water: the enrinsing.
Notice the wooden drainboards
set in the
modern washing machine.
79
The garden has varied aspects

bathroom windows
Here
is
right
(shown on the preceding page). The
the rear entry, with
fence with a hedge trained over
it.
at
left
and
kitchen
windows
at
the
bamboo
This forms a leafy panel as seen
from the
interesting feature
is
garden, and a bower-like screen for the garden as seen from the rear entry.
-;^fS^
8.
Above
is
the
end
ol the
facade shown on the lacing page.
ol the garden. The rear entry
80
is
behind the ience.
It
shares a view of the Western-style section
9.
A paved
terrace with pipe-lrame ovemeocl structure (tor shade from a vine or
bomboo
cover;
is
one elemen;
of
(lie
Wesf-
ern-style part ol the garden.
This view of the
Tonaka house
is
taken from the part of the garden
the
Western
ern
and Japanese room show/n on page 77. Next on
style.
The stone-paved terrace opens
corridor, then the children's room.
Beyond
off the
the sodegaki
is
ings (except
windows
used to store the

that
wooden
have fixed
is
will
notice a kind
panels that are drawn over
grilles)
at night.
a 24-foot
a tea room.
Beside each section of sliding door- and v/indow-panels, you

of box. This
in
combination West-
the right
is
done
all
open-
They are removed each
morning.
81
**#'^'^
10.
Side entrance to the hallway. The selling
is
built
around
ping-stone pathway leading to the kulsunugi-ishi.
Note
the large
the
maple
sodegaki
tree,
at ihe
Japanese-style garden, and a tea

The gardens shown here belong
and a
several carefully placed rocks,
step-
left.
to the
room
house shown on the preceding eight
pages, but they are as different as the Japanese- and Western-style rooms
inside the house.
tea
was
is
built at
careful to give
house
82
room
is
it
one corner
of the house.
In
designing
only a few modern details, since the tea
as ancient and revered a form as the tea ceremony
the architect
it,
room or
itself.
tea
'1.
corner ol lea room, which
structure.
The
kutsunugi-ishi)
J.
front entrance
is
is
almost enlirely Iradilional

at
left,
glass
at right.
is
paved
Family or everyday entrance to the tea room has lull-height
and
shoji panels
obove
(he
engawa. Stepping-stones
continue around the corner at right
enter must stoop (and thus
roof-overhang
12.
side entrance (with
Ihe toimol or side entrance (o the tea room
who
in
in
is
acknowledge
(he
mom
humility).
enfronce and
is
caiieu niiinguchi.
A bomboo window
exposed-aggregate concrete; beyond,
the
grille
is
garden surface
Nole
above. The
is
achieves depth by means ol high trees planted behind lower-growing plant material.
gravel.
In
the
to the side entrance.
low wooden door; all

area under the wide
entire
the
background, the garden
83
The
Isuilate
is
o portable single-panel screen.
not see directly in-thus giving the
Il
is
placed
room a measure
al the
ol privacy.
It
entrance to a room so that those arriving do

is
also used to screen the assembly of dishes
brought Irom the kitchen, before they are served at a dining table.
Japanese screens
Since the essence of the Japanese interior
movable and
have
many
uses
that such
flexible
space,
it
is
is
only natural
movable elements as screens should
form an integral part of Japanese rooms. Here
you see the two general

byofau,
plus
screening
84
in
types,
an example of a
a Japanese garden.
tsuitate
similar
and
use of
A byobu
one
is
rative
is
a folding screen.
placed
in
purposes;
are
of/en
merit.
They
screens
o/ great
objects
This
a corner for deco-
artistic
are also used lor privacy or to stop
draft.
small
one moy be placed
when you
at /he
head
sleep:
a large six-panel screen can
of your fufon
subdivide a room.
m^wtm
The screen idea outdoors:
This
hedge
performs the same function lor the
entrance
does
And
to
its
for
like
to the
the
the
house os (he
entrance
tsuilale,
be seen from bofh

visual merits,
when
it
a room.
is
designed
sides. Besides
it
is
conjunction with a pathway

foot
traffic
tsuilale
to
used
in
it
directs
along a specific
route.
*W!:jr''.
**lNt."**'
-' "J*
III
ij
luiyc
c(M-(y
couf/ o' u liuditional reslouroni
in
Kyoto, with room for cars lo enter anJ /urn around,
o^ rock, trees, lantern, and fence screens (he entry from being viewed from (he
An
86
'h;i
;s/a/)J i-,v.;uL
s(ree(.
island garden screens this entry
A ground
plan
of
the
The numbers are those
entry
of
courf.
comera
angles for the photos here and on

next two pages.
2.
Looking back toward the

enter.
Your
first
The island
you approach a
is
building.
indirect.
Here,
in
As you pass the main gate,
side the building,
you
find
you
to
go around.
likely to
you know
go around
it
to
Thus, even before
you have participated
in
an
w/ii'ch
cors
oil-center.
the entry courtyard of Isecho
must be behind the small garden, but you have to

the circular form invites
is
you see the wider ol two gates, through
street,
slightly
experience with the Japanese art of screening
your approach
and
is
occur as
in
Kyoto,
the entry
be sure
you are
in-
esthetic experience.
87
^r .AT'
'
.-? v-.->-',..
3.
The /i7e-foofed Iradilional gale has smo// a;id la/ge openi/igs
Isecho:
The gate and the entry

A
look about the entrance court of Isecho gives you
good summary
terior
of the
way
the
space as a prelude to the
Notice
how
the
Japanese use ex-
inside of the house.
garden and the
structure reconcile
a variety of decorative elements without seeming

the least cluttered.
in
v.ith
sliding vvoode/i panels.
5.
4.
In
(he corner beside the entry,
harmony despite many varied

stucco,
tree,
wood
siding,
wood
and stone repeal
a garden achieves
materials-,
grilles.
the central
bamboo,
Sodegaki, lantern,
garden elements.
(Above) At the side

a concrete
floor.
is
a roofed wailmg-bench with
Notice
the
decorative
bomboo
wall.
6.
(Below) The main enfronce has sliding
To
the right
is
grille
panels.
another entrance.
89
1.
Here
open),
how
is
the
Isuitaie
most often used. Placed between two rooms (with the lusuma
is
an ellective space-divider. The mandarin duck, or oshidori,
IS
it
is
a favorite decora-
you see demonstrated one
of the principal
tive subject.
Tsuitate:
The single-panel screen

pair of
In this
rooms
inside Isecho,
how
uses of the tsuitate. Notice
though
frame
side,
into
occupies so
it
all
around. The
and
thus
it
space
is
creates privacy
itself,
usually
and space
division
even
being merely a single panel with a
decorated with
different motifs
on each
provides a double opportunity for bringing color and design
a room.
3.
(Right)
Looking
in
decorated with a
90
little
tsuitate
it
and
the
the opposite direction,

dilferent painting.
gaku above.
Note
you see
the
the
byobu
other side of the
at different heights
some
in
tsuitate,
the corners,
'
v^"
^&
L.
2.
When
the tsuitate
you can see
fo
is
removed, the privacy and mystery are gone. Here
the far
chigai-dana are located.
end
of fhe
room, where the
tokonoma and
/-II
The floor plan of these two rooms:

numbers
show
the
camera
angles
here and on the next two pages.
By now you have seen enough tokonoma

basic rules, the variations are
The spacing
varies, the
wood
have windows; others do
chigai-dana
may be
left
92
As
we have
No
two
in
treatment varies.
not. In
may accompany
out.
Japanese are
infinite.
to realize that although there are
some
the
the floor
tokonoma,
Japan are
Some have
raised,
is
or
it
seen elsewhere, within
individualists in the
way
alike.
in
others
may merge
their
broad
they build their houses.
some
cabinets,
with
it
is
it,
not.
or
it
tradition the
5.
(Above) This cbigai-dana adjoins the tokonoma shown on the

facing
page
them).
The low cabinet has
(note the post they share

sliding
and
opening between
the
doors covered with the same
design as those next to the tokonoma. Here the flower arrangement, for variety,
4.
(Left)
One end
pages
this
is
of the pair of rooms
and
that lights
(Right)
corner,
winter
two preceding
its
tatami,
the
in
low cabinet
window
it.
When
like
the
not
byobu are
actual use,
in
in
usually
placed
in
The pictures on them are often seasonal. The
this.
Japanese
room may
like
to
relate to the season, but
in
a summer scene, and
in
display
summer a winter scene. The idea

coolness
the
the particularly fine design of the translucent
side turned toward the
and
shown on
occupied by the tokonoma. Notice the refinements
one: the decorative edging on
doors,
6.
a hanging one.
is
suggest warmth
in
winter,
summer. This medium-height screen shows
winter
spring subjects on
Thus
we
its
is
to
panels.
see the thousands of possible variations
also apparent that
many Japanese
in
the
Japanese house.
as a central place to display

falling
After
under the romantic
all,
art.
But at the
spell of the
same
time
anese do, and so a Japanese house

ate for an American family
in
tokonoma
one must be wary
Japanese mode and copying
Americans are not Japanese and they do not

in its
entirety
live
would
the
rarely
is
homes-
ideas are adaptable to American
sliding wall and cabinet panels, the engawa, and perhaps even the
It
way
it
of
blindly.
the Jap-
be appropri-
America.
93
Part of the
shown
the
in
end of
the
same room
the picture at the
fusuma are
now
left,
closed.
but
IHere
you see the closed storage spaces

in
the chigai-dana.
flower arrangement
Notice that the

is
placed on a
small pedestal.
Although
what
The view
g^
lokonoma resembles
this
dillerent.
is
Notice the recessed
(he
one on poge
light
92,
it
is
some-
coming down from above.
from the adjoining room, through the open lusuma.
The some view as
tokonoma and
in
the picture at the right
the dining table.
above, but the lusuma are open now, revealing the adjoining room with
its
smaller
Iseclio:
is
The tokonoma
sized to the
room
These pages picture a large room with a large toko-
noma and
room
a chigai-dana. Adjoining
with a
smaller
it
is
tokonoma (and a
a smaller
closet
in
place of a chigai-dano). The larger room has eight
room
mats, the smaller
design, the
same
in
six.
Note how
each room,
the fusuma
unifies the
two when
the partitions are open.
The adjoining room has a table, ashtrays, two zabuton
lor silting,
and a hibachi
lor
warmth.
V5
The room
one mat
96
is
in
basically eight mats

size,
in size,
does not count
in
with a ninth
mat
in
an alcove
computing the size of a room.
thai lakes the
place o/ o chigai-dana. The tokonoma,
ceramic hibachi
sits
beside the table.
nine-mat room
with a low folding screen

The
room
third
shown
here.
and when
mats
in
rooms
It
of a
group
adjoins the eight-mat
the fusuma are
size
of three that are interconnected
is
created.
of this size
is
room shown on page 94,
removed an open space seventeen

Departing from the usual
have an even number of mats,
the cabinets from the chigai-dana recess

floor with a tatami, thus making
an
this
that
rule
one omits
and covers the recess
over-oil floor
area of nine
mats.
Note
this third
tokonoma.
It
is
quite different from those
in
the
neighboring rooms.
Here
groph
is
a low byobu, seen olso
al the
left.
seated on the
This screen
in
(he right
can be used
to
photo-
background
of
keep o dralt
olf the diners
ffie
floor.
97
I.
Entrance. The door with a knob (center)

short fence,
in
style
still
used
house
special
The tea house of Yoshio Ooi,

forty years old.
for
it
in
It
was
in
is
(he side
it
has
Tokyo,
well designed
is
and
some modern touches,
it
and
time has brought

in
house entry
built,
special kind of entry.
also
And
another characteristic prized
is
to
its
right.
Notice the
ceremony
Here you see one of the
a tea house: the mellowing that comes with
age.
98
it
the tea ceremony.
fhe (eo
front-gale areas today.
over
has the elements dictated by the long tradition

of the tea house
of (he house;
lorj
for the tea
survived the great earthquake of 1923.
Although
door
(and appropriate
traditional elements: a
On
the next
two pages
are the side gate, side entrance through a garden, and a waiting area.
four pages
what
This
is
is
And on
the following
you get a more detailed look
at
inside.
a separate house devoted to the tea
ceremony. For a look
at
of the main house, turn
a tea room that
is
back to page 83.
part
2.
From the roofed entry gale, a path leads
to the
entrance of the tea house.
right
beginning of the path
In
the
to the side
lower
main
is
the
entrance; notice the
large decorative rock between the two paths.

3.
(Right)
entry
From
to
the
inside
lea
the
hinged door, unusual

light
4.
shikidai
in
area
looking
house),
Note
the
Japan, and the Japanese
fixture.
(Right)
The entrance
is
six
feet fone mat)
Notice the kutsunugi-ishi
set
in
crete (concrete has roof
tile
embedded
the
main
the
(at
back.
bamboo
in
width.
ripple-pattern con-
facing under the shikidai.
in
it),
and
The
traditional tea-house entry

Like the
Japanese family house, the tea house also has an outdoor entry area
separated from the main garden by fence or hedge, although the main garden
usually
can be entered from a side gate
like
the
one shown
here.
bamboo fence, neatly and artistically tied together.

The top part of each bamboo section was cut just above a joint, so that the
membrane would prevent rainwater from entering and causing the bamboo to
Notice the detailing of the
deteriorate. This style of fence
is
being
built
today
in
Japan;
its
design seems
quite timeless.
5.
Side gate closed. The wailing area

/o the right.
100
is
oulside the pic lure,
Side gale open. Note the stepping-stone path

entrance.
to
the
sme
O',0
5%
o^
c
W*4%1
^/
Floor one/ ground plan shows layout of /eo house
Numbers show
6.
(Below) Here
the
is
camera angles
the outside
of photos
and garden. The
on pages 98
bench where guests wait
to
until
entry
is
at
the
left.
105.
the host invites them in tra-
ditional with a large lea house.
'
101
7.
The paraphernalia oi the tea ceremony are kept

(notice the
8.
sion
in
This
byobu
in
the
the floor called the ro,
is
placed
in
where o charcoal
lire
a corner of the room shown
photograph above;
tea-ceremony room are
102
in
one corner ol
this
room, called a mizuya.
water laucel], and cabinets and shelves for the dishes used. The teakettle
the
fusuma
at the right.
to
the
main
is
kindled (charcoal
is
is
/(
contains o sink at floor level
hung from
the ceiling over a depres-
smokeless) to heat the water.
9.
Another view of
(fie
ro.
If
occupies the space of holf a latami. The
sfioji
opens
fo the
garden, where ihcre
is
a water basin lor
pre-ceremony handwashing.
The storage place for the tea-ceremony
i)lace for
brewing tea
resembles
hand-hewn
tokonoma
post).
(note
the
The shelves above the
sink
are suspended somewhat

in
utensils
a chigai-dana, and the
design
in
in
the fashion of those
sliding cabinet
overhead match the fusuma
doors
at the right.
103
10.
The lokonoma
of
in
the main
lea-ceremony room
is
the oldest
a single solid board with a carved pumpkin design;
this
shown
is
in this
one
book.
It
has an unusual old panel at the
right,
made
ol the prized parts ol the tea house.
toiicli
of old
Japan
From the adjoining room, the food and drink of the
ceremony are brought
tea
The host and
into this one.
ceremony
the guests are pleased to perform the
an old room,
atmosphere
for
it
somehow enhances
the detached
that the cult of tea deliberately seeks.
the preceding photographs
in
this
Japanese house has changed very
in
book show,
little
in
its
As
the
purely
Japanese aspects since the old house pictured here
was
11.
built.
This
view discloses the depth ol the tokonoma, with the
carved board
at the right.
Note
the shelf
behind
it.
This
c/oseup of the
upper cabinel doors shows the
ingenious iron door-catch, an old design but modernlooking.

12.
To
the lelt of the
tokonoma
is
built-in
The upper cabinet has hinged wooden
cabinet area.
doors,- (he lower,
fabric-covered sliding doors.
'
'
carelully
(Right]
'
'
wrought
The cabinel with
';
I
,
'i
(he
iron bracket
its
lower doors, showing
and
leather pull.
upper doors open, revealing a
treasury ol old sculpture inside.
Note
the line
woodwork.
He/e
(fie
lokonoma has a minimum
chigai-dana (the alcove-cabinet at
106
room
of struclure.
The loko-bashira
(post) divides Ihe
end wall
into the traditional
tokonoma and
rightj.
for the tea
ceremony, modern and simple
ilu
The low entrance
low
to enter.
is
called the nijiriguchi.
A bamboo
It
forces guests to stoop
fence and a low planting can be seen
through the open door.
In
contrast to the tea house
recently built
and
is
shown on
quite simple
nets for storing the art obiects to
the discreet display of a
in
the preceding pages, this tea
design. Nonetheless,
it
room, the Yoshida-tei,
retains the traditional
is
touches cabi-
be admired during the tea ceremony, alcoves and shelves for
few of these objects (here a calligraphy
scroll,
a flower arrangement
on a log slab, and three dolls), a low entrance, and a general sense of sanctuary from the outside world. Ideally, the tea
astery,
room
is
as simple, austere, and detached as a
where the tea ceremony originated.
room
in
a Zen mon-
The entry door

lantern,
and
is
next to the doormat.
low-growing plants
the
the stones, the
up o minia-
Japanese garden.
ture
(Right)
From the
street, steps
side of the house (as
in
house
With
lead up
to the
many Japanese
ol the shoji inside the glass

the
Note
that mofce
entrance at the
entries).
windows repeats
The pattern
the pattern of
siding.
the shoji closed, the living
room has complete privacy and good
diffused
light.
Using slioji panels over windows
The
final
section of
Japanese ideas
to
book
this
presents American houses that use
good advantage.
All the
houses are
San Francisco Bay area, where Japanese influence has

tionally
in
tradi-
been strong.
The house shown on these pages belongs

Tsujimoto,
who bought
to his liking.
Note
his
it
to
my
friend
Fred
a few years ago and has changed
vider.
Here
is
open
The
the living
in
the
shoji in the
serve as
room
with the
background.
foreground that
a room divider are
only partly open.
beautiful old four-panel
the living room.
byobu
it
use of shoji panels inside the glass win-
dows. Turn the page to see more about them as a room
shoji
the
is
mounted on one wall
of
di-
Shoji with an inleresling pattern are used like lusuma
room. Note the Japanese kama fused
on
the
in
the tea
in
this
ceremony)
By moving a
shoji panel, the living
ground) can be opened
to
the
room
(in
the lore-
kitchen-dining
room.
table.
Shoji as room dividers
no
.t
-*
ii
\'Z^
%^
Even when the translucent
light
Merely
sho/7 ore closed, they let in
the
Irom the living room to the kitchen.
Mr. Tsujimoto achieved a flexible use of space by
means
of sliding panels that divide a large
two rooms
that
can be opened
kitchen-dining area
light
and
is
into one.
windowless
artificial lighting),
(lit
room
into
Because the
only by a sky-
sliding the shoji
passage along
conceals the kitchen Irom the
instead of solid fusuma, which

light
when drawn across
specially
living
room and reveals
the side of the dining area.
made, since
would have kept out
the opening. These shoji are
the standard shoji (6 feet high)
would have been too low.
he used translucent shoji
in
The byobu
in
this
is
one
o^ (he lines! creations of
photograph
lills
the wall
above
Japanese
art.
The handsome six-panel byobu
the sola.
Just a few Japanese touches indoors,
and a garden outdoors

Many Japanese materials screens, block prints, shoji, garden ornaments, to
name a few are appropriate for American houses. But because of our way
of living,
is not a good idea to attempt to use all of them as the Japanese
it
use them.
it
is
We
on
chairs, sleep in beds,
and wear our shoes
seldom practical to reproduce a Japanese tatami room
living.
Even the Japanese build Western-style rooms
have seen.
112
sit
inside,
and so
for Western-style
for these purposes, as
we
The garden
Tlie
garden creates
the author.
Japanese
that the
Claude Teem house was
of the
modeled by
effect
In
it,
re-
show
tried to
can be achieved with a
combination of Japanese and American ma-
the view from indoors
The stone
terials.
the dried
Japan.
lanterns, the
bamboo
All
the
water basin, and
used on the fence
other
(it
to use plant material from your
be sure
will
it
total effect
by
selves but
The feeling
ol
is
stones,
materials,
plants are from local sources
is
came from
and
a good idea
own
be adapted to your
locality, to
The
climate).
created not by the materials them-
how you
use them.
a Japanese garden can be created by
using similar ideas but mafer/a/s that are at hand. The

materials
employed
soy
and bamboo
(ubs,
in
this
little
garden are pebbles,
fon (he wall
crete retaining wall}. The
garden
is
and atop
the con-
outside the break-
last-room window.
(At
left)
fully
The view from every window has been thought-
composed.
Idere,
seen from third-floor
stair,
zigzag garden stairway with low plants on each

Notice
that
covered by
the
seams
in
half-stalks ol
the
is
side.
fence at the right are
bomboo.
view o/
7h/s
(fie
garden atop
inside the house.
Compare
the steep slope gives
this
view
wi'ffi
you on idea ol
the picture
on poge
its
small size, although
it
looks large from
113.
5" -*
, . ,v.('5ii^:^>rs
On
the
rials.
upper level
is
a pond surrounded by a bridge, stone lanterns, rocks, and American grown plant mate-
The bridge was designed and
built in
America, but the ellect
is
Oriental.
115
Adaptations inside the lionse
kakeziku
any
IS
in
The kakeziku over
116
lor his
by
wile Irene.
his
the tansu
was selected
own home. The ceramic
in
Iruit
Japan by Karl Rhode-
and cup were made
makes a
a hallway of ihe
A.I.D.
Home/
(scroll)
vertical wall space.
line
decoration lor
The one shown above
home
o/ Karl Rhode-hiamel,
In
Japan a gaku, or Iramed brush poinling,
of a built-in bullet
In
is
often
an American home. Observe
arrangement, a Japanese
wooden
rice container,
hung on
how
its
(he wall over the
lines
lusuma or
shoji. This
one
is
the center of interest
take on an almost tokonoma-like
and a ceramic ashtray
set
appearance when a flower

are appropriately placed on top of the buffet.
In
their living
feeling of
the wall,
room, the Rhode-Hamels have created a
Japanese
living
zabuton on
chairs. (See also
page
by using a large screen on
the sofa,
and a low
table
and
124.)
117
Adaptations
in the
portable fence, shown also
in
the picture at right, below.
can glimpse the garden beyond the fence, which
is
You
merely tied
together with twine.
In
the rear
garden
at the
home
of John Pollia.
designed by the author. The portable fence

nese touches: a
bamboo
sodegaki,
live
is
The garden was
one
bamboo
for
of
stepping-stones that lead around the sodegaki to the
118
many Japa-
harmony, and
stairs.
garden
and
oil
Sodegaki on o
the street
city street. This
neat and simple fence-shield
was designed by owner Sam Jermane.

his
neighbor's house.
tinues
Note how
It
is
the bark
on (he side facing
bomboo
trim
con-
up the corner of the house.
\
(Below) The opposite side of the sodegaki creates the impression of o private, individual entry garden. Note
the stone lantern
and
the collection of plants
in
containers.
"'
;7.nat.'-^'-i:i:^;j*3aii:<
Two
kakeziku
wake a
stunning group on ihe dining-room wall. You can get a vertical eflecl from one or
two, or a horizontal effect from two or more, depending on
20
the
way you group
therr).
Decorating with screen,
and bonsai
scroll, tansii,
You can
tell
by looking around the Robert C. Ber-
house that they
gins'
understand
how
like
to use
Japanese objects of
them to enhance
You might suspect also
that they are
art
their
and
home.
interested
in
bonsai, the art of miniature trees and you would be

right.
They have made hundreds of them, some of
which they display inside the house, others

garden. For more on
their
in
the
house, turn to the next
page.
When
they remodeled, the Bergins
especially for a tansu.
One
wall of the living
well with almost

effec(.
No(e
(he
any
It
well as here, from
the
lighting, the bonsai,
and
added
can be seen from
bedroom. Note
the
/his
(fie
the
gozo maf on
a/cove
entry as
overhead
the floor.
room shows a handsome four-pone/ screen over (he writing desk. The byobu blends
of lurniture, but of course (fie relationship between the elements determines the
style
maple bonsai on
the desk.
121
Here are two
units of
Japanese wood-block
a tansu placed side by side (also shown

prints,
and two bonsai comp/efe
in
the picture a! the right).
scroll,
framed
the composition.
More ways Americans use the tansu

Even though,
in
Japan, tansu are seldom displayed
they are considered

styles. In
Japan,
their
handsome pieces
primary use
is
of furniture.
in
America
They are compatible with many
furniture
the main part of the house,
in
for storing clot-hes
and personal belongings,
are used successfully wherever a storage chest or table

in
122
the dining
room and
hall
as well as
in
the
bedroom.
may be needed. The
but here they
Bergins have them
From
the
bedroom
picture.
hall,
of
looking toward the glass
the
Beyond
Bergins'
the
door
house
is
is
like
grille,
the
in
al
an engawa, with a
form tor bonsai, a Buddha figure, and a

tice
door
looking
wooden
platlat-
used os the Japanese would use such a
screen.
single tansu
balanced by
in
in
tall
the dining room.
candlesticks
and
Its
the
horizontal line
tall
is
podocarpus
the container.
123
Looking throuyn
sliding glass
i/ie
glass wall into the garden.
Above
windows and bamboo shades instead
it
In America,
the fun of a
Japanese room
124
is
of shoji.
a gaku, as
in
Japan. The chief difference
is
the
The adjoining bedroom loots through retracted

fusuma
shoji
toward
the
tokonoma
in
a Japanese room. The
at the right are closet doors.
Many American
families
who
visit
Japan come home charmed
by the experience and, more than

create a
bit
of
Japan
in their
that, with
the wish to re-
own homes.
These pictures show the accomplishments of one such family.
The
Karl
Rhode-Hamels,
after several trips to
to build a Japanese addition to their house,
Japan, proceeded
and also
to
make
a Japanese garden.
What
they achieved
their friends.
ing to
this
It
seems
is
to
handsome, workable, and a
me
also a proper
delight to
and promising
book on the Japanese house, which after
closoil
is
written for Americans.
725
Japanese
This
Rooms
photograph shows the relationship
of
the
Japanese room. The floor of (he Japanese room

inches,
and both
it
and
the
bedroom
floor are
in
bedroom
is
to
America
the
raised several
covered with gozo
f-lere tne shoji
gozo
rather
are partially closed lor privacy. Since the floors are

than
tatami,
shoes
although you would not do so
in
con be worn
in
these
rooms,
Japan.
mofs.
The Japanese room adjoining
and zabuton
126
for seating.
the
Beyond
is
bedroom
features a
the garden.
low table
GLOSSARY
bonsai miniature tree-landscapes, dwarfed by

methods of
special
bunko book
room; also a cupboard
culture
book
case,
cabinet, or storage
in
a side alcove
daidokoro kitchen
line,
it
is
between
platform at the wall

the rain shutters;
a veranda, a porch, a stoop, an open
corridor, a balcony
or
all
(the
engawa can be any
sh/ic/da) intermediate step or platform
genkon entry vestibule

geto Japanese outdoor footwear
getobofco cabinet
for storing shoes, geta, slip-
and
the house floor
shogi Japanese chess

short screening fence
tansuo chest of drawers; a cabinet; a bureau
mat, a floor covering (material
is
same
little
over 2 inches
in
the
between
room
objects,
quilt
in
over
and a
used for floor
sur-
the
tokonoma
and
the
chigai-dana area, usually near the center
h/bachi Japanese charcoal brazier

a charcoal or electric heater goes
feet
fo/co-boshiro a specially crafted alcove post
fior/'gofatsu floor recess usually one-half tatami
above and
thick)
by 6
Japanese house
tokonoma an alcove
as the surface of the thick tatama mat)
the recess, with table
(usually 3
face
placed
pers, umbrellas
in
the principal Japanese
where art treasures, natural

and/or flower arrangements are
(zashiki)
displayed
tsuitatea portable, single-panel screen
yo(cush/fsu bathroom
the table
kakezikua hanging
scroll
kamo- kettle
lintel
between
the kutsunugi-ishi (taking-off-shoes stone)
/atom/ straw mats
ing
kamoia
the floor of the
the big toe
gai<u framed calligraphy panel or brush paint-
in size;
in
for a charcoal fire
fabi Japanese socks with a separate part for
interior wall panels
futon bedding
with shallow grooves
on the
under side that serve as tracks for fusuma

kutsunugi-ish/ taking-off-shoes stone
/cyosoku wooden armrest
128
ceremony room
sodegakia
fusuma sliding
favorite decorative
sho// paper-covered sliding wall panels
of these)
furo bath
gozQ a
hearth; a depression
tea
and
equipment
subject
ro a
used for display
the shoji
for tea
a storage room
tea
multiple-panel folding screen
engawo- narrow wooden
closet;
room
osh/don mandarin duck; a
butsudon- family Buddhist shrine

chiga/'-dona- a pair of shelves
mono/Ve a
the tea-ceremony
in
nijir/guch/ the side or formal entrance to the
cabinet for writing materials
byobu a
mizuyaa washing place
zobuton cushions used as seats

zasfi/lc/ principal room in a Japanese house; a
kind of all-purpose room
zori straw sandals; Japanese
bottoms
slippers with flat
S)
,-:;! s;*^':

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THE JAPANESE HOUSE

THE JAPANESE HOUSE

by Tatsuo and Kiyoko

THE ART OF FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

THE ART OF DRIFTWOOD

AND DRIFTWOOD ARRANGEMENT

A TREASURY OF JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS

This edition published

Publishers, Inc. Library ol

Congress Catalog Card Number-. 63-12066 Printed

the fusuma partitions work

look at Japanese houses

Three rooms: Variety out of simplicity

The vocabulary of the Japanese house

The entry gate leads

modern house has

then to the house

At the gen/can (entry vestibule)

The Japanese house

Japanese and Western, side by side

Innovations: Kitchen, bath, laundry

The garden has varied aspects

Japanese-style garden, and a tea

some Japanese houses

rooms, but what a variety of space

are sliding panels ffusumoj

the zashiki (principal

The Japanese screen has many uses

Exterior wall panels Isbojl)

/secho; The gate

away to reveal the garden

front gate to the front

Nine-mat room with a low folding screen

The single-panel screen

The floor plan

The traditional tea-house entry

A place for brewing tea

The Japanese room has many functions

to leave your shoes

You can open

Through a Japanese house:

Through a Japanese house:

Here is a modern Japanese house

your garden view

Using shoji panels over

a few Japanese touches indoors,

and a garden outdoors

walk through a Japanese house

special house for the tea

modern and simple

the center of the room,

with sliding panels

a table over a floor recess

The garden creates the view from indoors

Adaptations inside the house

garden and on the

Decorating with screen,

More ways Americans