Future Development of Japanese Dwelling Houses

by Shigetsura Shiga

Here the question comes on the start and which at least is a most predominant factor governing the design of our dwelling houses. Have we to design our houses so as to sit on the mat, or to sit on the chair? This may sound strange to a person alien from Japan, yet it is a most important question for the native Japanese in this time of transition. It will be too severe to urge one to chose one in preference to another. If he likes to sit on the mat as he has done, or sit on the chair as all European nations do, either make no difference according to my own view, and under the circumstances of our modern mode of living the houses should be suitable for either way; the future will decide this question. Remember, however, that the way of bending the legs under the weight of the body to which we have so long been accustomed and which has characterized Japanese from all other nations is surely a great impediment for the development of our legs; comparative shortness of legs of all Japanese has as believed by some its cause in this habit. Stretching a body on the Futon (a bed, without bedstead, simply spread over the mat[A] on the floor) at night is not healthy mode of sleeping from hygienical stand point taking in the air much loaded with carbonic acid gas at night. Only common sense is enough to know whether it is evil or not. Still I do not insist upon changing our mode of daily life instilled in us from time unknown; it might be too severe to persuade one to accomplish the work which is almost impossible to do at present; it would be better to leave this question to one’s own judgement for awhile. It will not take more than a century before the problem is solved; and meanwhile it is enough to remember that the only way for progress is to abandon what one consider wrong and to adopt what is right. An inclination of a few minutes of a navigator’s compass when he leaves a port makes a divergence of thousands of miles in a course of a few days, so the discrimination of the majority of people however small the matter may be, greatly influences the civilization of a country.

[A] Japanese mat is 2 ft. 10¾ ins. by 5 ft. 9½ ins. having thickness of 2½ ins. laid on wooden floor.

The second question is whether our dwelling houses should take an appearance of European style or Japanese in aspect. According to my own view, if one choose his habitation to look European he need not hesitate to do so; but if he prefer to treat his house with Japanese design he may do it so: Chinese, Hindoo, Greek, or Roman make no difference whatever as far as the selection of design is concerned; the determination of national art is another question not involved here. The freedom of design should strictly be observed in any time and place provided the precautions hereafter set forth be carefully heeded.

To live in a perfect house is an ideal or ambition quite out of reach; but if he is wealthy enough to start a new home, that impartial judgement and trained eyes with which he should discriminate what the result will be is always necessary. It is dangerous for an uninitiated to live in a house designed by an uninformed builder or an ignorant amateur architect; the outlay for the house is too high to merely display one’s vulgarity or low taste. A result which is an outgrowth of inexperienced hands with little or no attention to the modern application of science, and a sequence of a gathered knowledge of worthless, scattered information would undoubtedly be surpassed by that which worked upon common sense as its foundation and was finished by the principle of aesthetics. This is a paramount important point to be considered by either an architect or a house owner, and is the only way to attain a result near to the perfect and not far from ideal. In this time of transition the design of the Japanese dwelling houses has no definite course by which to follow. And I deem it necessary to point out what to be done and what not to be done for architects and clients, for it concerns greatly the future development of Japanese dwelling houses.

The object of human habitation is not only to keep out the weather or to sustain the life alone; the habitation of primitive aborigines were just for that purpose and had no further need arising from the want of daily necessity. The development of human intellect improves the method of living and its reflection is made apparent by the mode of cloth, food, and dwelling. Civilized nations are not satisfied with houses which were built only to keep out weather or to sustain the life alone, but seek the dwellings which keep their life most safely and at the same time most comfortably. The modern requirements of houses are much complicated and involve so many principles. Notwithstanding that the subject is one of the most interesting as well as comprehensive among architects, yet it is viewed by Japanese architects with somewhat of indifference. The aim and object of dwelling houses is of course safety and comfort in living, but in order to meet the requirements of the house we have to further consider it from scientific, economical, and artistic stand points. It would therefore be appropriate to establish a maxim according to reasoning, as is generally done, either in criticizing or creating any thing; and my discussion on Japanese houses is no exception.

Principles involved in house designing are not so simple as one would suppose, for the work of house designing is simply an application of the scientific, economical, and artistic idea. In other words, stability, sanitary, convenience, economy, comfort, and beauty are six principal elements which no architect or house owner should lose sight of. These elements are principles which govern the designing of houses and conditions which are to be fulfilled, if a house is desired to be perfect, in any time and place. All houses should be erected on these foundations. But the further we think the more we feel the question becomes complicated; for the question of the houses is not so simple that we can grasp it under the elements cited above. A house as the abode of man as a social being; has it no relation to the development of human society and human culture? Also has it no concern with human character and conduct? In discussing dwelling houses, all these should be taken into consideration. And though it seems to be entirely beyond the scope of an architect’s work, yet it has a great concern with the future development of Japanese houses.

There can be nothing perfect in this world; in order to fulfil one desire something else may or must be sacrificed: for economy’s sake beauty may be sacrificed; for sanitation convenience will perhaps, be a victim. On the whole, the work of a house architect is plainly a matter of compromise.

Modern Japanese dwelling houses should not be regarded like curios which only gratify the owner’s curiosity by decorating Tokonoma (the recess in which Kakemono is hung) and Chigai-tana (a shelf in the recess next to Tokonoma, art objects being generally displayed on it) in a parlor. A house erected in its rational and appropriated form, on lot in the circle of the metropolitan city of the empire, attracts attention of all nations at large; no matter whether it is a private or a public building is entirely of a public nature. The house is undoubtedly the property of the owner, yet in its widest sense the property of a country, and has a great influence upon public happiness, and at once reveals the standard of living of the natives. We see many a beautiful residence in Europe and America and notice that they are not only boasted of by the owners themselves but by the citizen who guides us to the quarter where wealthy people dwell. They are apparently proud of the beautiful houses, but it may be understood that they are inconceivably proud of the country which possesses them in its realm. A house is surely a decoration of a state, an embellishment of a city, an achievement of the fine arts. Natural supremacy of scenic beauty is no special credit to the country. Artificial supremacy in art and science is true pride of a nation.