Traditional Japanese House

architectural elements
shapes and spaces
THE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE HOUSE

The traditional japanese house is endangered. Most Japanese live in "modern" houses styled on Western models. But in a few places, as private dwellings, heritage buildings or museums, the traditional house survives.

It's an amazing building that illustrates the Japanese attitude toward aesthetics and the natural environment. The traditional house is in some ways a religious expression as well as a dwelling. The Japanese "religious aesthetic" is evident in the traditional house and also in other art forms such as brush painting, flower arrangement and tea ceremony.

The religious aesthetic expressed in Japanese art and architecture depends on the ideas of balance, harmony, economy and beauty. Nothing is wasted and beauty comes through simplicity and its relationship to function.