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Minka is a traditional Japanese village house. Japanese house - how it works inside and out

In her magazine you can find a lot of interesting things about Japan, Japanese life and other travels.

Living in an old Japanese house is an unforgettable experience. Everything is according to the traditions: genkan, washitsu, fusuma, shoji, tatami, zabuton, futon, oshiire. There is even a kamidana. With simenava and side, as expected. I photographed everything, everything, everything short video. I invite you for a tour.

Genkan - Japanese hallway. Shoes must be removed in this area. According to the rules, it is supposed to turn the shoes towards the door. You need to step on the hill already barefoot.

Traditional men's shoes, maybe this is an option geta

A room in a traditional Japanese style is called washitsu. Space is divided by internal sliding walls fusuma. Frames and lattices are made of wood, outer side covered with opaque rice paper. The partitions separating the living quarters from the veranda are called shoji. They use rice paper that transmits light.

Kamidana is a niche for kami. A small Shinto shrine, like a home altar in Russian huts. Shimenawa- literally "enclosing rope", denotes a sacred space. White zigzag stripes are called hide. Kami - Japanese deities, spirits.

There is no central heating. You can turn on the air conditioner, if it is available in the house, or the floor heater. Judging by the smell, the heater is gas catalytic, so it's better not to use it. Heating a house with air conditioning is expensive, so the problem is solved locally. Understanding the beauty of the Japanese bath comes ofuro. It is small in area, you can’t stretch your legs, but the water does not cool for a long time, and it is deep, only the head is outside. The owner carefully left the heating pads. Electric sheets are also widespread. There is also special devices - kotatsu, .

A futon is a thick, soft mattress spread out at night for sleeping. In the morning he cleans the closet. Closet called oshiire.

The corridor along the perimeter of the house in the warm season is combined with the garden. The walls just move, at the same time it gets cooler. In this case, traditional shoji replaced with modern glazing.

Doors are usually decorated with paintings. Please note that the image is shifted to the bottom, because it is designed for a seated person. In a Japanese house, it is generally not customary to stand upright, moved from place to place and sat down on his knees again. The pose is called seiza, literally "correct sitting".

In the living room there is a European sofa and a Japanese table with low legs. The flat pillow is called zabuton. They are used to sit on the floor or on chairs. Although Japanese chairs are actually a seat with a back.

The kitchen is located outside the house, it is more of a terrace. There is a rice cooker, a microwave oven, something like a grill, a stove and a refrigerator. Lots of dishes.

Washing machine is huge

Since the main space of the house is located on a hill, you can arrange a pantry. Underground, like ours.

The window overlooks the garden

This is Voneten Guest House on the island of Izu-Oshima, located in the town of Habuminato, in general, a village - https://naviaddress.com/81/700037. The house was booked on Booking.com. The owner is sociable and hospitable. I met him at the bus stop, took him to the supermarket, launched his drone, shot a video as a keepsake. It was very cool. Habu port is a quiet place, the best experience.

Japanese cat Anko. Brought up, does not climb into the house. Even if the door is open, sits outside.

At the end of the video, a tour of the house.

Japan is the land of the rising sun. This amazing eastern land has always been distinguished by interesting customs and traditions. Japanese design is of great interest to fans of exotic things. Japanese private houses – the best purchase for people looking for peace and harmony. Housing made in this style is a real work of art.

Japanese houses are called differently, it all depends on the type of building. The most common and common name is "minka". high house It is customary to call "biru", an apartment building "manseong".

The traditional Japanese house is called "minka", which means "house of people" in translation. Many years ago, Japanese society was divided into classes, and such a dwelling belonged to ordinary peasants, artisans and merchants. After a while, this division of social strata disappeared, and the word "minka" began to be called any traditional houses of the Japanese.

main feature Japanese house- this is the breadth of the range of styles and sizes of performance. First of all, buildings are closely related to geographical and climatic conditions. Housing reflects the lifestyle of its inhabitants. In the summer, the country is quite hot, so the houses are built so that they can be well blown by the wind.

Traditional Japanese house called "minka"

A Japanese house is somewhat reminiscent of an ordinary canopy. This is a roof that rests on a frame made of wooden poles and rafters. The walls are replaced with sliding shutters, so there are no windows or doors. Sliding panels in the house can be removed, adjusting the size and shape of the room.

The windows are the outer walls called "shoji", which can also be moved apart and removed. They are covered with thin white rice paper.

Many who see the inside of a Japanese house for the first time are amazed at the lack of furniture. There are no decorations anywhere, there is only a picture, under which there is a beautiful vase with fresh flowers.

Construction of a traditional Japanese house

A real Japanese house is designed for the warm season. The room is well ventilated, saving its residents from damp heat. The downside is that in such a house it is quite cold in winter. There is no public heating traditional dwelling there is only local heating.

The floor is covered with tatami - these are square-shaped straw mats. A wooden floor without any coating can only be in the kitchen. But in modern premises for supporting Japanese design the best option there will be an artificial material that has a natural texture, for example, made under river pebbles or bamboo.

Japanese style interior design

The interior in a Japanese house is, first of all, a pleasant environment with light decorative elements. This style has the main requirement - nothing more. The atmosphere of a Japanese house should give serenity and tranquility. The beauty of nature is at the forefront, which means that all items are made from natural materials.

The main attribute of this style is wooden sliding doors. They protect from the sun and rain, and also create a nice matte glow in the room. In a Japanese house, you can see partitions called "fusuma", made of a thin frame and rice paper. They are used as a division of space. They can also be called screens, which are decorated with pictures. They can depict beautiful blooming trees, militant samurai or beautiful dancing geishas.

Creative individuals sometimes want to create something special that can emphasize the extraordinary. Japanese style. In this case, you can paint a picture depicting a symbol of Eastern culture. It could be a home. But how to draw a Japanese house? To do this, you need to find an example drawing. The main thing is to bring strict samurai, hieroglyphs and cherry blossoms into your work, then the picture will reflect the whole atmosphere of Japanese life.

Minka (minka; literally "house(s) of people") is a traditional Japanese house.

In the context of the division of Japanese society into classes minka were the dwellings of Japanese peasants, artisans and merchants, i.e. non-samurai part of the population. But since then, the class division of society has disappeared, so the word "minka" can be called any of the appropriate age.

Minka have a wide range of styles and sizes of execution, which is largely due to geographical and climatic conditions, as well as the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the house. But in principle, the mink can be divided into two types: village houses(noka; nōka) and city houses (matiya; machiya). In the case of village houses, one can also distinguish a subclass of fishermen's houses, which are called gyoka (gyoka).

In general, the preserved minka are regarded as historical monuments, many of them are objects of protection for local municipalities or the national government. Of particular note are the so-called "gassho-zukuri" (gasshō-zukuri), which are preserved in two villages in central Japan - Shirakawa (Gifu Prefecture) and Gokayama (Toyama Prefecture). Together, these buildings have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The peculiarity of these houses is their roofs, which converge at an angle of 60 degrees, like hands folded in prayer. Actually, this is reflected in their name - “gassho-zukuri” can be translated as “folded hands”.

Central to the construction of the mink was the use of cheap and readily available building materials. Peasants could not afford to import something very expensive or use something that is hard to find in their home village. So almost all nokas are made exclusively from wood, bamboo, clay and various types of grass and straw.

The "skeleton" of the house, roofs, walls and supports are made of wood. In the manufacture external walls often bamboo and clay were used, and internal walls were not erected and instead sliding partitions or fusuma screens.

Grass and thatch were also used for roofing, mushiro mats, and mats. Sometimes the roof, in addition to straw, was covered with baked clay tiles. Stone was often used to create or strengthen the foundation of a house, but stone was never used in the construction of the house itself.

When you first see inside of a japanese house, most of all you are amazed at the complete absence of any kind of furniture. All you see is a bare tree support pillars and rafters, a ceiling made of planed boards, lattice bindings shoji, whose rice paper gently scatters the light that breaks through from the outside. Slightly springy under an open leg tatami - hard, three fingers thick mats of quilted straw mats. The floor, made up of these golden rectangles, is completely empty. The walls are also empty. There are no decorations anywhere, except for a niche where a scroll with a picture or a calligraphically written poem hangs, and a vase of flowers is placed under it: .

Feeling only with your skin in a Japanese house what its closeness to nature in winter days turns into, you really realize the meaning: it main view self-heating. AT Everyday life for every Japanese, regardless of his position and wealth, there is no greater joy than to bask in a deep wooden vat filled with unthinkable hot water. In winter, this is the only way to really warm up. You need to get into the furo after washing out of the gang, as in a Russian bath, and rinsing thoroughly. Only after that, the Japanese plunge up to their necks into hot water, pull their knees up to their chin and bliss in this position for as long as possible, steaming the body to crimson redness.

In winter, after such a bath, you don’t feel a draft for the whole evening, from which even a picture on the wall sways. In the summer it brings relief from the exhausting damp heat. The Japanese are used to basking in furo, if not every day, then at least every other day. Having that much hot water per person would be an unaffordable luxury for most families. Hence the custom to bathe from the tub, so that the tub stays clean for the whole family. In the villages, the neighbors take turns heating the furo to save on firewood and water. For the same reason, cities are still widespread public baths. They traditionally serve as the main place of communication. After exchanging news and gaining warmth, the neighbors disperse to their unheated dwellings.

During the summer, when it is very hot and humid in Japan, the walls move apart to let the house ventilate. In winter, when it gets colder, the walls move to create small interior rooms which are easy to heat with braziers.

The floor of a traditional Japanese house is covered with tatami - square straw mats.. The area of one is about 1.5 square meters. m. The area of the room is measured by the number of mats placed in it. Tatami mats are periodically cleaned and replaced.

In order not to stain the floor, traditional Japanese houses do not wear shoes - only white tabi socks.. Shoes are left at the entrance to the house on a special step - genkan(it is done below the floor level).

They sleep in traditional Japanese houses on mattresses - which are cleaned in the closet in the morning - osi-ire. The bedding set also includes a pillow (previously, a small log was often used as such) and a blanket.

They eat in such houses, sitting on futons. small table with food is placed in front of each of the eaters.

In one of the rooms of the house there must be an alcove -. This recess contains art objects that are in the house (graphics, calligraphy, flower arrangements), as well as cult accessories - statues of gods, photographs of deceased parents, and so on.

style motivation

Why is the Japanese house a phenomenon? Because its very nature goes against our usual concept of housing. How does construction start? ordinary house? Of course, from the foundation, on which strong walls and a reliable roof are then erected. everything is done in reverse. Of course, it does not start from the roof, but it also does not have a foundation as such.

During the construction of a traditional Japanese house factors of a possible earthquake, hot and extremely humid summer are taken into account. Therefore, at its core, it represents a structure of wooden columns and a roof. The wide roof protects from the scorching sun, and the simplicity and ease of construction allows, in case of destruction, to quickly assemble the damaged house again. Walls in a Japanese house- this is just filling the gaps between the columns. Usually only one of the four walls is permanent, the rest consist of movable panels of various densities and textures, which play the role of walls, doors and windows. Yes, in a classic Japanese house there are no windows familiar to us either!

The external walls of the house are replaced - these are wooden or bamboo frames made of thin slats, assembled like a lattice. The gaps between the slats used to be pasted over with thick paper (most often rice paper), partially upholstered with wood. Over time, more technologically advanced materials and glass began to be used. Thin walls move on special hinges and can serve as doors and windows. During the hot part of the day, shoji can be removed altogether, and the house will receive natural ventilation.

Interior walls of a Japanese house even more conditional. They are being replaced fusuma- lungs wooden frames, pasted over on both sides with thick paper. They divide the dwelling into separate rooms, and, if necessary, are moved apart or removed, forming a single large space. Besides, interior spaces separated by screens or curtains. Such "mobility" of the Japanese house gives its inhabitants unlimited possibilities in planning - according to needs and circumstances.

Floor in a Japanese house traditionally made of wood and raised above the ground by at least 50 cm. This provides some ventilation from below. The tree heats up less in the heat and cools longer in the winter, besides, during an earthquake it is safer than, for example, masonry.

A European person who enters a Japanese dwelling has the feeling that these are just scenery for a theatrical production. How can you live in a house with almost paper walls? But what about “my home is my castle”? Which door to bolt? Which windows to hang curtains on? And which wall to put a massive wardrobe?

In a Japanese house you will have to forget about stereotypes and try to think in other categories. For for the Japanese, it is not the “stone” protection from the outside world that is important, but the harmony of the inner.

Inner world

To some extent, the house in which we live reflects our character, vision of the world, aspirations. The atmosphere inside the house for the Japanese is almost the main thing. they prefer minimalism, which allows not to overload the space and energy of the house. Everything is extremely functional, compact and easy.

When entering the house, you must take off your shoes to your socks. In Japanese tradition, socks are white, because perfect cleanliness always reigns in the house. However, maintaining it is not so difficult: the floor is lined with tatami- dense mats of rice straw, covered with igus grass - swamp reed.

There is practically no furniture in the house. The one that is, brought in its size to a minimum. Instead of bulky cabinets- built-in wardrobes sliding doors repeating the texture of the walls. Pillows instead of chairs. They usually eat at low portable tables. Instead of sofas and beds - futons (mattresses filled with pressed cotton). Immediately after waking up, they are cleaned in special niches in the walls or in built-in wardrobes, freeing up space for life.

The Japanese are literally obsessed with cleanliness and hygiene. On the border of the sanitary zones of the house - the bathroom and the toilet - special slippers are placed, which are worn only in these rooms. It must be recognized that, in the absence of extra furniture, unnecessary trinkets and non-functional items of dust and dirt simply have nowhere to accumulate, and house cleaning is minimized. In a classic Japanese house, everything is designed for a “seated person”. And sitting on the floor. In this one can see the desire to be closer to nature, to the earth, to the natural - without intermediaries.

Light is another Japanese cult. In a house where both external and internal walls are made of translucent materials, a lot of natural light, even if all shoji closed. Their lattice frames create a special light ornament. The main requirement for light in a Japanese home is that it be soft and dim. Traditional rice paper lampshades diffuse artificial light. It seems to permeate the air itself, not paying attention to itself, not distracting.

Clean space and peace - this is what the inhabitant of a Japanese house should provide him with. If we can fill our rooms with flowers, vases, souvenirs, and eventually even stop noticing these things, then the Japanese do interior decoration rooms have only one accent (picture, ikebana, netsuke), which will please the eye and set the atmosphere. Therefore, in every house there is a wall niche - tokonama where a neat Japanese will place the most beautiful or valuable thing he has.

Japanese style

Of course, time and technological progress have changed the way of life and. Classic in the full sense of the word japanese houses now only in the countryside. But every Japanese tries to keep the spirit of national traditions in his home. Almost every Japanese apartment, even the most modern and "European" apartment building, has at least one room in traditional style. And this is not a tribute to fashion, but something natural and logical, without which the Japanese cannot imagine their home.

The style of minimalism also prevails in Europeanized Japanese housing - it perfectly matches the conditions of scarcity and high cost of square meters, overloaded with the stresses of life in megacities. The attitude to their space, to the residential area in overpopulated Japan is reverent, because of the seven thousand islands under the Japanese flag, only 25% of the land is habitable.

Modern housing in Japan

The average size of a house/apartment in Japan is 5 rooms. It has three bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen/dining room. Living space such a house - about 90 square meters. m. For private houses, this is, respectively, 6 rooms and about 120 square meters. m of living space. In Tokyo, where housing prices are significantly higher, apartments and houses are smaller on average by one room.

The vast majority of Japanese children have their own room (for each child).

There is almost always at least one traditional style room. The rest of the rooms are usually made in European style, with wooden floors, carpets, beds, tables, chairs and so on.

In modern Japanese houses it is cold to walk in tabi (the floor is not heated), so the Japanese wear slippers. There are special slippers for the toilet so as not to spread dirt. In general, the Japanese are very scrupulous about personal and home hygiene.

Japan is developing at an incredible pace, and its architecture, which is based on the mysterious philosophy of the East, is attracting more and more attention of thousands of tourists from all over the world. Our review presents 25 stunning, incredible, mind-blowing masterpieces modern architecture countries of the rising sun that everyone should see.

Very unusual house Cellbrick is made up of many steel modules. They are staggered, which gives the walls of the building original look. Inside the house, these modules serve as shelves on which small items can be placed.

2. Curtain House in Tokyo

Curtain House in Tokyo

The interior of the unique "Curtain House"

The Curtain House was designed by legendary Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and built in 1995 in Tokyo. The first thing that catches your eye when you see such an unusual building is a huge curtain 7 meters high, stretching along the perimeter of the main facade. It serves as a barrier to the penetration of sunlight and gives the building an oriental charm.

Hansha Reflection is a two-story residential building with its own courtyard and rooftop deck, located next to the scenic sequoia park in Nagoya. The incredible shape of the building is, according to the authors of the project, "a reflection of the environment, lifestyle and philosophy of the Japanese."

Japanese architect Su Fujimoto designed House Na, a multi-level house in the likeness of tree branches. To get to the very top platform, guests will have to overcome an intricate system of open spaces. The main materials are steel and glass.

The Glass School, a branch of the Kanagawa Institute of Technology, was designed by Japanese designer Juniya Ishigami. According to her, "the main idea in the development of the school was to create an environment in which everyone will feel the freedom of the educational process, and where there will be no rules"

6. Keyhole house in Kyoto

"Keyhole House

"Keyhole House" at dusk

Interior of the "Keyhole House"

The main feature of an unusual residential building in Kyoto is an L-shaped glazed niche that surrounds the entrance to the building around the perimeter. Interestingly, there are no windows on the main facade, which does not prevent residents and their guests from feeling comfortable within the walls of the Keyhole.

The author of the unique building of the commercial center Mikimoto House is the Japanese Toyo Ito. The 24-story complex was built in 2005 in Tokyo's Jinza economic district. With his creation, the author showed the whole world how something unique and memorable can be created from steel and reinforced concrete.

The construction of a skyscraper in the shape of a giant cocoon was completed in 2006. The 204-meter skyscraper is the main branch of the famous fashion school Mode Gakuen University. The tower also houses numerous restaurants, cafes and boutiques. Mode Gakuen Cocoon is considered the 19th tallest building in Japan and ranks second after Moscow State University in the list of the highest educational institutions in the world.

Intersecting rows of round holes in the walls of the MON Factory residential building create the effect of moving light in the interior. This at first glance, not the brightest building has become one of the symbols of modern Kyoto.

10. Nakagin capsule house in Tokyo

Built in 1972, the Nakagin complex by architect Kise Kurokawa resembles a huge mountain of washing machines, which did not prevent the building from becoming a universally recognized masterpiece of post-war metabolic architecture. Small capsule apartments are designed for businessmen and entrepreneurs immersed in their own business - they have a shower, toilet, bed, TV and telephone. The author of the project planned that the capsules would be changed every 25 years, but before today their replacement was never made, which led the amazing complex to an emergency state.

11. Entertainment complex "Oasis 21" in Nagoya

Entertainment complex "Oasis 21"

Opened in 2002, the modern entertainment complex Oasis 21 contains many restaurants, shops and a bus terminal. The main part of the complex is underground. The main feature of "Oasis 21" is its huge oval roof, which literally soars above the ground. It is filled with water, which creates an interesting visual effect and lowers the temperature in the mall itself.

12. Residential building "Reflection of the crystal" in Tokyo

Residential building "Crystal Reflection" in Tokyo

"Crystal Reflection" at dusk

Crystal Reflection Residential Building is located in a densely populated area of Tokyo. The author of the project was Yasuhiro Yamashita. The architect managed to solve several problems at once - he managed to find a place for compact parking and create the most open and bright space with stunning views from the windows.

The business center of Tokyo consists of 6 modern skyscrapers. Within their walls are shopping centers, hotels, entertainment complexes and a museum. The main boulevard runs between the buildings, sometimes covered with a glass atrium and decorated with a wide variety of flora.

Perhaps, main character Nagoya is a science museum located in the city center. It consists of 3 buildings dedicated to modern technology, natural science and biology, and the largest planetarium in the world, which is a huge sphere with a diameter of 35 m.

15. Mode Gakuen Spiral Tower in Nagoya

Another branch of the Mode Gakuen Fashion Institute, the Spiral Tower was built in 2008 in Nagoya. The 170-meter graceful building amazes passers-by with its beauty and sets new standards for modern education.

16. Branches of Sugamo Shinkin Bank in Tokyo

French artist, designer and architect Emanuel Moreau lives in his own vibrant world and tries to reflect it in his work. In her view, "the bank building should not be gray and boring", but on the contrary, "visitors of such an important institution should feel a favorable and kind atmosphere."

Built in the forests of Karuizawa, Shell House is an example of true harmony between architecture and nature. Tubular rooms literally flow into environment open up to her as much as possible. This place is in great demand both among connoisseurs of architecture in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, and among local residents who rent villa premises for the weekend.

18. Church "Temple of Light" in Osaka

Church "Temple of Light" in Osaka

Unusual interior church "Temple of Light"

The entire church "Temple of Light" is made of ordinary reinforced concrete. The author of the project, the world-famous Japanese Tadao Ando, was able to achieve an incredible lighting effect with the help of niches and holes, and even the cross behind the altar forms light. This church has become a real flagship of Japanese architecture, and Ando has been awarded all sorts of awards.

The 12-meter building of the shopping and entertainment complex in Tokyo includes a variety of boutiques and restaurants. What distinguishes Urbanprem from most other buildings is its heavily curved façade, which makes it almost impossible to determine the actual height of the complex.

The construction of the unique museum ensemble located on the territory of the fruit park was completed in 1997. The author of the project, Itsuko Hasegawa, put a hidden meaning into his work - three buildings covered with a glass shell symbolize the "fruits" (or fruits) of spirituality, intelligence and lust.

Japan is a country of ancient traditions. Features of the mentality and culture affect the methods of building a country house.

If in our understanding a house is often a stone fortress, then the Japanese have a completely different approach.

In the vast majority of cases, Vacation home assembled in Japan using frame technology.

Hence the apparent fragility and fragility of such a structure.

But, according to the Japanese, only such technology allows you to create houses that become a continuation of nature itself. "Do no harm" - this is the slogan that Japanese builders adhere to.

Starting the development of the site with large-scale earthworks is not an option for the Japanese. Import and export of cubic meters of sand, gravel, earth is not welcome. Japanese architects and builders are more concerned with how to “fit” the house into the landscape so that heavy equipment is used as little as possible. Yes, and the traditional Japanese houses themselves are fundamentally different from everything that comes to mind with the phrase: “country cottage”.

We have already told site users about the features. The climatic conditions of this country impose restrictions on a well-established technology. Destructive earthquakes, tsunami threat, high humidity and strong winds forced the Japanese to develop their own - special - approach to construction.

Why build a capital stone house, which can be completely destroyed during an earthquake of 7-8 points or a hurricane wind? After all, he still can not resist the pressure of the elements. In addition, if such a structure collapses, then it will bury all the residents under it. Private houses in Japan are prefabricated wooden structures. As conceived by the Japanese, the service life of such a house is from 10 to 20 years, after which it will either become obsolete and will have to be repaired. The Japanese, instead of endless alterations and additions, prefer to completely demolish the house, and build a more modern dwelling in its place.

Major Japanese Phenomenon suburban construction is that houses, like apartments, only become cheaper over time. For example, if a family moves into a new apartment in a high-rise building, then in a year the price for it falls. The principle of "build today cheaper - sell tomorrow more expensive" does not work. Apartments and houses are bought on credit, for a period of 30 or more years, at 2-3% per annum. Only building land is of value.

Therefore, some Japanese prefer not to buy, but to rent a house. This is especially common among unmarried employees and middle managers. You can rent an apartment only by resorting to the services of an agency. Apartments are usually rented for 1 year. After that, if the tenants and owners of the apartment are satisfied with everything, the lease is extended, and the amount of the rent does not change for many years.

Also of great interest is the traditional Japanese house and the method of its construction. The basis of the house is a wooden platform, which is supported by columns of timber. The foundation is often the simplest - columnar, there is no basement, there is only technical underground: 0.5 meters high from the ground, in which all necessary communications are carried out.

The roof of the house has large overhangs. This protects the walls from showers and the scorching sun. As roofing ceramic tiles are used.

Home insulation is often absent. There are no walls, as is customary with us, in a traditional Japanese house either. The gaps between the columns are closed wooden frames from slats on which thick rice paper, resistant to wind and moisture, is glued. And although in recent times paper has been replaced by more modern materials- glass and wood Wall panels, many Japanese prefer to use handmade paper.

Pay attention to panels. In fact, a traditional Japanese house is one large room no rooms. Certain places are reserved only for the kitchen, toilet and bathroom. Zoning of space is carried out using all the same wooden partitions, which are inserted into special grooves. If necessary, the partition is moved or completely removed. Thus, inner space home is constantly changing. Does the head of the family need an office? Partitions move, and it turns out a small cozy room where you can sit with your laptop. The guests have gathered - the partitions are removed, and several rooms are turned into one large room. The owners decided to go to bed, the partitions are put back in place, and a bedroom is obtained.

Any room, depending on the mood of the owners of the house and the need, can become a living room, dining room or nursery.

Wardrobes, massive furniture are also missing. All things are stored in wall niches, closed by the same partitions. In addition to internal partitions, external ones can also be easily removed. This is due to the mentality of the Japanese, who love to feel unity with nature. It turns out that the house swings open to the outside, and its internal space becomes a continuation of the landscape on the site. In the event of wind or rain, the partitions are quickly installed in place.

This approach allows you to adjust the cottage to the landscape and build memorable houses with your own face.

The area of a standard Japanese house is from 120 to 150 square meters. meters. It is not customary to build more than two floors. Attic space used as one large storage room. To arrange living rooms there usually does not occur to anyone. The average area of apartments is from 60 to 70 square meters. m for married Japanese and 30-50 sq. m for bachelors (in this case, the apartment is used as a place to sleep and relax). Moreover, the area is not measured in square meters, and in the traditional Japanese unit of measurement - tatami . It is equal to 180x90 cm. The number of rooms in an apartment or house is indicated as follows - “2LDK”, where:

L - Living room. This is the main characteristic that affects the value of real estate.
D - Dining room.
K - Kitchen.

The fact that the house has a bathroom and a toilet is usually not written, but by default an apartment or house without these premises is not for sale.

Everyone knows the Japanese passion for cleanliness. When entering a Japanese house, it is customary to take off your shoes and put them on a special platform located just below the floor level.

Of particular interest are the bathroom and toilet, which are always made in the form of separate rooms.

Moreover, the Japanese tend to place the toilet in the most inconspicuous place, away from living rooms. Passion for cleanliness comes to the point that when visiting the toilet it is customary to use special plastic slippers, which change shoes when visiting this room.

The bathroom is often installed washing machine, and the room is completely waterproofed. This is done for the following reason. The Japanese from childhood get used to save all resources.

Water is no exception. Adoption hot bath – national tradition, but it is not customary to drain this water into the sewer. After taking a bath, the Japanese leaves it, stands on the floor and takes a shower.

Thus, the water in the bath does not mix with soap foam and is reused, for example, for washing clothes or sent to the flush tank in the toilet.

Another local feature is the rejection of faucets with hot and cold water. Two taps are placed in the bath or in the kitchen - one with cold water, the other with warm, heated to comfortable temperature. As necessary, either the first or the second is turned on. Thrifty Japanese believe that this reduces energy costs, because. no need to heat up the water high temperatures and then dilute it with cold.

In apartments, as well as in houses, only cold water can be supplied. Water is heated in a gas or electric boiler.

Although there are no severe winters (with the exception of Hokkaido Prefecture), in winter period time the house needs to be heated. In Japan, the heating system with boilers, coolant and stationary radiators is not popular.

Japanese homes are most often heated by individual portable gas or kerosene heaters. And although one of the main disadvantages of such heating is the slight smell of burning fuel and the need to ventilate the room, the Japanese are ready to put up with these shortcomings because of the high cost. central connection gas or installation on the site of the gas tank. Also popular electric heating such as summer/winter air conditioners and infrared heaters.

Often such heaters are made in the form of paintings and hung around the house on the walls, so at first glance you can’t determine that this is a heating element. In addition, electric rugs are especially popular, on which you can lie or sit, dragging them with you around the house.

The voltage in the Japanese electrical network is 100 V at a frequency of 50-60 Hz.

A distinctive feature of the Japanese is that they live "in the plane of the floor." For example, a family dinner most often takes place at one low table, behind which all households settle down, sitting not on chairs, but on tightly knocked down pillows. Such tables "Kotatsu") are equipped electric heater. In the cold season, when dining at such a table, it is covered with a quilted blanket, under which everyone sticks their legs. It is believed that this unites all family members, in addition, it is much warmer.

In order not to freeze at night, the Japanese put on thermal underwear and cover themselves with electric blankets. Thus, the concerns about heating completely fall on the shoulders of Japanese apartment and homeowners.

Summing up, we can say that a traditional Japanese house is an unusual for Western homeowners, a purely utilitarian dwelling. The Japanese do not divide the world into internal and external. The house should have an aura similar to the place where it is being built. traditional house in Japanese includes five components:

compactness;
minimalism in things and interior;
convenience of living;
use environmentally clean materials;
maximum functionality and integration into the landscape.

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