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Minka - Houses of the People
A minka home in Shirakawa village, Gifu Prefecture.
Minka (民家, “house(s) of the people”) are private houses constructed in one of several traditional Japanese building styles. In the context of the four divisions of society, minka were the dwellings of farmers, artisans, and merchants (i.e., the non-samurai castes).
Anybody who thinks Japanese all live in cramped quarters should take a look at a Minka Farmhouse. The peaked roof shelters four floors. Massive, rough-hewn dark wood beams, fitted together without nails, frame the large living and dining area.
"A lot of wisdom, good thinking and good materials went into making these homes," said architect Yoshihiro Takishita, who found his house in central Japan's Gifu prefecture, disassembled it and then restored it on the hills over Sagami Bay, south of Tokyo.
These spacious structures grace the mountain-studded, rice paddy-filled countryside, their grass thatch roofs and dark brown exteriors blending gently with the surroundings.
Interest in minka resurfaced after 1995 when the United Nations named two Japanese mountain towns (Shirakawa-go and Gokayama) world heritage sites because of their well-preserved farmhouses.
The homes are linked to their environment and the raw materials traditionally came from their surroundings. Farmhouses in snowy climates, for example, have grass-thatched roofs built into what is called a "praying hands" shape, because the steep sloped roof stops the snow from piling up.
posted by Message from Japan on Tuesday, May 08, 2007
1 Comments:
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At 5:26 PM,
said... -
As I have a graet liking for traditional Japanese architecture, I found this a very interesting and informative piece. Thank You.