5 Interior Design Elements of a Traditional Japanese House
What makes the interior of a Japanese house special? There are many elements that come together to make what most people identify as uniquely Japanese.
This doesn’t cover everything, but here are what I consider the top 5.
1. Tatami Mats
Perhaps the defining factor of a traditional Japanese house are tatami mats, flooring made from rice straw and covered with a woven rush grass surface. Fun fact, most modern tatami mats aren’t 100% straw. Instead, they are a straw covering over a type of styrofoam.
In any case, tatami mats add a certain flavor to a space. The aesthetic quality and aroma of the tatami are endearing. The cool thing about tatami mats are how it turns any space into a multi-use room. Put a table and cushions in the center and you have a living or dining space. Lay out some futons, and it’s now a bedroom. Or just lie on the soft surface and stare at the ceiling. Your choice!
Another big plus with tatami mats is they’re inexpensive to replace. Re-covering each mat is usually ¥5,000 to ¥10,000, and the entire tatami mat can be replaced for around ¥20,000. They can also be easily lifted up with a hook tool. Just don’t forget their placement, because there is a particular order in which they are laid together.
2. Sliding Doors (Shoji and Fusuma)
Japanese homes traditionally use sliding doors, or shoji and fusuma, to create flexible living spaces.
Shoji are sliding panels with a wooden frame covered with translucent rice paper. The wood used is typically Japanese cedar or hinoki. The “rice paper” – or washi – is actually made from the fiber of the paper mulberry tree. Shoji are not just space dividers, they add soft natural light into the room. Just don’t go throwing things around, because they are not exactly durable.
On the other hand, Fusuma, are sliding doors featuring a cloth covering. Some fusuma feature ornate designs, which are sometimes silkscreen or hand painted. These coverings can be quite expensive, so it’s best to avoid replacing the covering unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Also a plus of fusuma is they can be easily removed to open up spaces. Granted, you have to find somewhere to store them.
3. Engawa
The engawa is a traditional feature found in many Japanese homes, acting as a kind of verandah or corridor that runs along the outer edge of the house. This is basically a hallway offering easy access to the rooms. This adds a kind of natural insulation, which is useful because Japanese homes are generally poorly insulated. While rooms are traditionally covered with tatami mats, engawa are typically hardwood flooring.
4. The Genkan
Every traditional Japanese house has a genkan, or entrance hall, which is where you take off your shoes to enter the house. The genkan is traditionally aesthetically pleasing, creating a positive first impression. The genkan is typically separated from the rest of the house by doors or dividers, because no one wants to show their messy room to the postman.
Sometimes instead of a genkan, the front door opens to a doma, or dirt floor. This is more common in older buildings like kominka (farmhouses).
5. Handcrafted Wood Details – Tokonoma and Ranma
A proper Japanese room features a tokonoma, or alcove. This is usually a 1-tatami mat size slightly raised space where you can hang a scroll and place an objet d’art, usually ceramic of some sort. This is the Insta-genic focal point of the room.
Sometimes between Japanese rooms there is a ranma – a wooden screen or transom – that is above the shoji or fusuma. This can be a shoji-like wooden frame covered with washi paper, or if you’re lucky, a solid piece of Japanese cedar featuring intricate hand-carved designs. Of all of the traditional Japanese room elements, this is perhaps my favorite.
There you have it: tatami mats, shoji & fusuma, engawa, the genkan, and tokonoma & ranma. If you can check off every one of these in your akiya, you have the full suite of traditional Japanese character. Bingo!
