Unlike the European houses, a
traditional Japanese house does not have a designated use for each room aside from the entrance area (genkan) kitchen, bathroom, and toilet.
All the room can be converted into living room, dining room, study, or bedroom simply because their furniture is either portable, being kept somewhere hidden in a small section of the house (large closets) or there are hardly any furniture required.
Living room is expressed as ima, or living "space". This is because the size of a room can be changed by altering the partitioning, versatile indeed.
traditional Japanese house does not have a designated use for each room aside from the entrance area (genkan) kitchen, bathroom, and toilet.
All the room can be converted into living room, dining room, study, or bedroom simply because their furniture is either portable, being kept somewhere hidden in a small section of the house (large closets) or there are hardly any furniture required.
Living room is expressed as ima, or living "space". This is because the size of a room can be changed by altering the partitioning, versatile indeed.
Large traditional houses often have only one ima (living room/space) under the roof, while kitchen, bathroom, and toilet are attached on the side of the house asthough looking like an added extention
Somewhat similar to modern offices, partitions within the house are created by fusuma, sliding doors made from a very simple material, wood and paper, which are easily removable.
Fusuma act as a seal to each partition from top to bottom so it can create a mini room within the house while the edge of a house are rōka, wooden floored passages, that are similar to hallways. Rōka and ima are partitioned by shōji, sliding and portable doors that are also made from paper and wood.
Unlike fusuma, paper used for shōji is very thin so as to allow light to pass through but today they began to use glass for sliding doors.
Rōka and outside of the house are either partitioned by walls or portable wooden boards that are used to seal the house at night.
Roofs of traditional houses in Japan are made of wood and clay.
Unlike fusuma, paper used for shōji is very thin so as to allow light to pass through but today they began to use glass for sliding doors.
Rōka and outside of the house are either partitioned by walls or portable wooden boards that are used to seal the house at night.
Roofs of traditional houses in Japan are made of wood and clay.
For large gatherings, these partitions are removed to create one large meeting room. During a normal day, partitions can create much smaller and more manageable living spaces. Therefore, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and genkan with one multipurpose living space create one complete Japanese housing unit. However, the bathroom, toilet, and even kitchen can be a communal space.
Genkan
One characteristic of a Japanese home is the genkan, or entryway. It includes a small area, at the same level as the outside, where arriving people remove their shoes. As they take off their shoes, people step up onto a raised floor. They point the tips of their shoes to the outside. The rest of the residence is at the raised level of this floor. Adjacent to the lower floor is a shelf or cabinet called a getabako (geta box) in which people will place their shoes. Slippers for indoor use are usually placed there.
One characteristic of a Japanese home is the genkan, or entryway. It includes a small area, at the same level as the outside, where arriving people remove their shoes. As they take off their shoes, people step up onto a raised floor. They point the tips of their shoes to the outside. The rest of the residence is at the raised level of this floor. Adjacent to the lower floor is a shelf or cabinet called a getabako (geta box) in which people will place their shoes. Slippers for indoor use are usually placed there.
Toilet
Main article: Toilets in Japan
The toilet in Japanese housing is usually located away from the bathroom. However, very inexpensive one room apartments often use what's called a unit-bath where both the toilet and bath are in a single unit. Inexpensive Japanese hotels often use these unit-baths as well. The toilet is usually in a small stall-like room, including just the toilet. When entering the bathroom, one traditionally replaces their house slippers with plastic "toilet" slippers, swapping back when exiting the bathroom. Traditionally, Japanese toilets have had an image of "unclean" and as such were separated, but more modern day toilets tend to ward off the traditional "unclean" image of yesteryear.
Main article: Toilets in Japan
The toilet in Japanese housing is usually located away from the bathroom. However, very inexpensive one room apartments often use what's called a unit-bath where both the toilet and bath are in a single unit. Inexpensive Japanese hotels often use these unit-baths as well. The toilet is usually in a small stall-like room, including just the toilet. When entering the bathroom, one traditionally replaces their house slippers with plastic "toilet" slippers, swapping back when exiting the bathroom. Traditionally, Japanese toilets have had an image of "unclean" and as such were separated, but more modern day toilets tend to ward off the traditional "unclean" image of yesteryear.
Kitchen
Main article: Japanese kitchen
The modern Japanese kitchen features appliances such as a stove, a narrow fish grill (broiler), and an electric refrigerator. The stovetop may be built-in or may be a self-contained unit on a counter-top, and it is usually gas-burning, although recently induction heating (IH) stovetops have become popular. Common units of all types of stoves include two to four burners. Broilers designed for cooking fish are usually part of the stove and are located below, and unlike many Western-style grills, are not full width. Built-in ovens large enough to bake or roast are uncommon; in their place, work-top multifunction convection microwaves are used. Most kitchens have electric exhaust fans. Furnishings commonly include microwave ovens, hot water boilers, and electric toaster ovens. Built-in dishwashers are rare, although some kitchens may have small dishwashers or dishdryers. The kitchen includes running water, typically with hot and cold faucets/taps.
Main article: Japanese kitchen
The modern Japanese kitchen features appliances such as a stove, a narrow fish grill (broiler), and an electric refrigerator. The stovetop may be built-in or may be a self-contained unit on a counter-top, and it is usually gas-burning, although recently induction heating (IH) stovetops have become popular. Common units of all types of stoves include two to four burners. Broilers designed for cooking fish are usually part of the stove and are located below, and unlike many Western-style grills, are not full width. Built-in ovens large enough to bake or roast are uncommon; in their place, work-top multifunction convection microwaves are used. Most kitchens have electric exhaust fans. Furnishings commonly include microwave ovens, hot water boilers, and electric toaster ovens. Built-in dishwashers are rare, although some kitchens may have small dishwashers or dishdryers. The kitchen includes running water, typically with hot and cold faucets/taps.
Bathroom
Japanese housing typically has multiple rooms for what in Western housing is the bathroom. Separate rooms for the Japanese toilet, sink, and ofuro (bathing room) are common. Small apartments, however, frequently contain a tiny single bathroom called a unit bath that contains all three fixtures. A small sink may also be built into the top of the toilet tank – there is a tap, with the top of the tank forming the sink, and the water draining into the tank – which runs during the flush cycle; this is particularly common in mid-20th century buildings. The room with the sink, which is called a clothes changing room, usually includes a space for a clothes-washing machine. The room containing the bathtub is waterproof with a space for washing, and often for showering, adjacent to (rather than in) the tub. As a result, bathwater is neither soapy nor dirty, and can be reused. Many washing machines in Japan come with an extension pipe to draw water from the tub for the wash.
Hot water usually comes from a gas or kerosene heater. The heater is usually located outdoors (at least in warm climates). Its gas supply may be from a municipal utility or from LP (Liquid Petroleum) tanks on site. The typical Japanese water heater is tankless and heats water on demand. One heater may supply both bath and kitchen. However, many homes have two or more heaters.
Washitsu
A tatami room with shoji.
Many homes include at least one traditional Japanese styled room, or washitsu. It features tatami flooring, shoji rather than draperies covering the window, fusuma (opaque sliding vertical partitions) separating it from the other rooms, an oshiire (closet) with two levels (for storing futon), and a wooden ceiling. It might be unfurnished, and function as a family room during the day and a bedroom at night. Many washitsu have sliding glass doors opening onto a deck or balcony.
A tatami room with shoji.
Many homes include at least one traditional Japanese styled room, or washitsu. It features tatami flooring, shoji rather than draperies covering the window, fusuma (opaque sliding vertical partitions) separating it from the other rooms, an oshiire (closet) with two levels (for storing futon), and a wooden ceiling. It might be unfurnished, and function as a family room during the day and a bedroom at night. Many washitsu have sliding glass doors opening onto a deck or balcony.
Other bedrooms, as well as living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens, are in a Western style. They usually have modern synthetic floor coverings. Ceilings are typically also synthetic, and might be white or beige. Windows usually open by sliding laterally, although many kitchen windows open by tilting, with the bottom slanting outward
