Japanese houses in general are destitute of nature of publicity; they are confined in the enclosure of earth wall or tall wooden fence so that they are hardly seen from outside (see the drawings of different style of fences). Does this not mean that the house is build for one’s own sake not being for the purpose of showing it to others? This spiritual selfishness is well manifested in the predominant feature of Japanese dwelling houses. Or we may draw a conclusion in another way. The Japanese are generally known as reserved or modest people and do not like to show off what they possess or what they have done; they feel quite a shame if they are regarded by others to be pretentious or vain. This prevalent motives common to all Japanese, pervades all the doings of the people. The seclusion of Japanese houses from the sight of the public is mainly ascribed to this fact; the true phase perhaps not being in the selfishness but in the reserve. It may be admitted, however, that Japanese houses in their construction are not suitable to show whole structure to the public thoroughfare. There is another reason that compelled the Japanese houses to take the feature of seclusion; in the feudal time of Tokugawa Shōgun, more than three hundred lords or Daimio being scattered over the whole empire ruled their subjects or retainers with what we now might call despotism. A subject who is in a habit somewhat of showing off his wealth could not escape from the eyes of a lord, or a lord of lords the Shōgun. The heavy tax was levied from him not as a charge for vanity but it considered his wealth to be capable of giving as much substantial assistance as he could endure for his lord.—The Corean people of today is unfortunately a victim of authority under the same circumstance.—Under such circumstances, is it not natural that a person conceal his wealth from the inquisitive eyes of authority? The seclusion of houses became necessary and it was, in fact, a natural consequence. Japanese are modest or reserved as most Europeans call them, but notice there is a difference between reserve and concealment. Are Japanese houses modest or reserved as a result of national spirit? Or are they so in order to conceal their true phase? This is a question not easily determined, still it is safe to regard the result as a sequence of mental reserve and material concealment, altogether inadmissible to the modern idea.
If one is loyal enough to his country give up the principle of seclusion.—I do not for a moment mean to persuade to show off—widely open the gate and manifest the true phase of the house and beautify it with his might, and, as a group, decorate the city; it is a duty as a citizen, and is charity to the poor as a certain English lady puts it. Tall wooden fence, heavy earth wall inclosing both houses and gardens, altogether impressing an idea of a prison, should be avoided in the houses to be erected hereafter.
This wide open idea much deviates from the statement made by the author of “Successful Houses” on the American dwelling houses; “it certainly lends no picturesque element to the landscape, and affords not the slightest trace of privacy to its owner, but simply boldly proclaims the ownership of the enclosed earth, as if to say: ‘I own these 60 × 175 feet; you may look over and covet my house, but you may not enter’.” I do not believe that American wide open principle of house lot may involve any selfishness or means to excite covetousness of passing strangers. This principle, however, may not prove to be harmful if it introduced, to a certain extent, in a seclusion principle of our Japanese houses. Here I should again state that the seclusion principle of Japanese houses does not involve any sense that “each man’s house is his castle” which was said by laying most stress upon man’s proper right. On the whole, the comprehensive idea of reserve and modesty pervades all Japanese houses from exterior treatment and to interior decoration. If it is one of the principles of human nature that things half seen appeal most strongly to our taste and tempt us most with interest and appreciation, as the same author said, American fences are too low, and those of Japanese are too high; we should take the average of the two.
The question of home education is a much talked of subject of late years. It is of paramount importance for the parents and elders of a family to lead their youngers and children by behaving themselves so that the latter can be moulded after the mould which had been laid down by the former. Most Japanese emphatically call attention to this point when they talk of the home education. But we should acknowledge that this is not all that will affect the character or culture of young people. Every body knows that a school, in its nature is a place where the young people are educated; yet the majority of people do not know how the preliminary considerations had been taken in to account before the erection of the school was carried out; the kind and arrangement of the seats and desks, the position of black boards, the size of windows, the descriptions of curtains, the size and shape of class rooms, the height of ceiling, and even the minor detail of open and close arrangement of doors. These and many other particulars are subjects which one cannot lose sight of before the final end of education is fulfilled. Thus, if such preliminaries be necessary in schools, why are not like cautions, if not the same, necessary for our dwelling houses in order that they may serve the purpose of home education?
It may have a certain effect upon undeveloped minds of children to impart the mental taste of fine arts if one decorates the rooms with pictures and curios. The hanging of atlas and the exhibits of the specimens of plants and animals in rooms for decoration may help the development of their scientific idea. Any picture or bust of an illustrious man may give a hint in regard to their future career. These are not important factors, however, from an architectural stand point, as the decoration of a house though they may have no small influence upon childrens’ character.
A father is the man who knows best his son’s character. Japanese is the man who is most fully aware of the weak points of his fellow-citizen; every body admits that we are inclined to irregularity in doing things, destitute of selfrespect, indifferent regarding individual proper rights, these are only a few among many which are to be cited. I feel myself that these weak points as a nation may be attributed, for the most part, to the construction and arrangement of the houses we live in. We know that our present houses are the consequence of a change of our national character which has been taking place from time to time, and I deem it quite high time for us to form a new character by picking up every thing that is good and throwing away every thing that is evil without any regard to prejudice and to give birth to a new form in this land of whirlpool of occidental and oriental current. Let me give examples how our houses exerted an influence upon our character, and thus the conclusion may be drawn that in order to bring about a new character we have to remodel our houses accordingly.