"Japonism" is known as the taste of Japanese arts and craftworks that were very popular among the European people in the end of 19th century. Some impressionist artists like Van Gogh, were said to be influenced by "Ukiyoe", which is the Japanese woodblock print at that time.

I like the old Japanese houses. Nowadays that style is still close to us, but numbers have been decreasing, so we often hardly notice them. It's always darkest just beneath the lighthouse.



Here is an old residential house named "Yokoohji house" in the town of Fukuoka city. This house was initialy buit in the Edo period, but large-scale of reconstruction had already done. The large pillars and beams, earth wall, thatched roof, tiles...every natural materials often fascinate people.



The floor of beaten earth called "Tataki" is painted within this house. This material is made of filled soil mixed with lime and water. This material has thermal and cool storage capability. It makes the room temperature cool and opposite effect in winter. We can introduce this into modern houses.

You can see a rice oven in the photo below, we call it "Kamado", now we do not use it, but rice cooked in this oven is absolutely great, awesome! I hope you can try it.This atmosphere is a space for healing.



We still can use those materials which are wisdom of ancestors, and can reproduce the acient atmosphere to our modern houses. I hope so.

wooden floor

I'm introducing the construction of a wooden floor of cherry blossom.

Something standing between each floor board, is a spacer prepared by our carpenter. These are strings for packing. The wood floor sometimes creak when the natural wood is contracted. Using this spacer, it gives space between the wood boards, as a result,it reduces being rubbed and creak.



This way comes from wisdom of carpenters to know the nature of trees.



I've learnt lots of things from carpenters at a construction site, better to learn from books.

Lime plaster factory

In Japan we plaster on the wall using lime. Not many peopole do not use, because of its cost, but lots of people still prefer the natural material.

We call traditional lime plaster as "Shikkui". The origin of this name came from China long time ago. I've heard, one acient time, they called lyme as "Suk-wui" We put Chinese character on this pronunciation.

By the way, I'm surprised that lyme plaster was used at pyramid in Egypt, the Great Wall in China, Akropolis in Greece, Bombay ruins in Italy as a building material. It has had incredibly long history.

The other day, I visited traditional lyme plaster manufacture, Tagawa Sangyo Co., Ltd., and saw their factory. This company's products are used at most of famous castles in Japan like Osaka castle.



This is the limestone, raw material for lime plaster.



They calcinate this stone in the furnace in soil, which is rare, only two left in Japan, it effectively calcinate the stones. Then mixing rock salt into the furnace to produce fine powder and purelu white lyme plaster. I feel something like dignity from this facility.



Their factory looks like mostly barracks. Their policy let them spend most of cost to research & development. In those barracks, there is a enormous mechanical equipment which has the latest tecnology. You can't figure it out from only seeing the barracks.

Their calcinating furnace shows us they maintain their traditional way and wisdom of the ancients, on the other hand they have brand-new equipments, I mean they have both tradition and tecnology. It is worth seeing it. Located in Tagawa city, Fukuoka Japan.

Another wooden wall

It's been a long time to renewal this blog. I'll try to write something down from now on.

We have another construction site of a wooden house which has woodern walls. Looks pretty cool, I like this one. Its color will be changing year by year, but it's gonna be like a color of driftwoods lying on the shors. I like the changed color of natural deterioration. Stone, mud, wood, paper ... those natural materials have that nature.














Unfortunately we normaly use artificial and mass production of wood materials, sidings. Wooden wall materials are expensive. The articial one does not have that beauty of natural deterioration. When it becomes old, just old and durty.














Inside of the building house, plasteres, we call them as "Sakan", were painting mud on walls. This material is a primer coat. After this, they'll put a topcoat with diatomite. This material shows natural textures of earth and have properties of moisture control, odor control, absorbing VOC and so on. It's really good for our health compare to use chemical materials.

People here in Japan, tend to think about these natural materilas, but actually, most of people do not use it due to its cost. I hope that people realize how important we use natural materials one day, and producers try to reduce the cost.

I think the situation is changing a little bit.

Wooden wall

This is wooden sidig boards, natural materials. This product is imported from U.S.A, features are water and fire proof, wetherproof, anti-termite and so on.

Especially, in terms of fire proof, this product has excellent capability. This wood has been impregnated with fire-proof agent. This is only one product which is qualified as "semifireproof construction" under the Construction Standard Act.

This construction method is called "Yoroibari" in Japanese which finish of shape looks like armors, piling boards.
It's a troublesome work to do for carpenters.

This wooden product change the aspect of a house, more naturally. We have the problem of price. It's really expensive. I hope more reasonable products come into our market.

Anyway, you can see a cicada's pupa on the wall. Natural materials are always loved by people.

Work hours of architects

How long do you work for? The architects in Japan work long time, sometimes neally midnight. It might be fate, if you are an architect. When working towards a dedline, we often work long hours. Saturday is not a holiday. Only on Sunday, we could have a break, if customers do not claim or call us. It is necessary for us to correspond to established and potential customers as soon as possible. The customer is not only one.

The matter mentioned above is quite normal for the architects in Japan. After working till late at night, we have only one thing to do... sleep. Even though working efficiently, we can't go home easily because other people are still working. Holly shit! People in Japan really attach importance to "cooperation", you have to help if they can not finish their work.

Not only for co-workers, but also customers, we sacrifice ourselves. "Cooperation", "patience" and "sacrifice" are still virture, this way of thinking still remains in this country. I doubt it. That's too much. Work is not to sacrifice myself. When I do not have time or room, it is not possible to pay attention enough for others. The person won't be made anyone happy though we are not happy.

Neither this system nor the tradition will change easily. I'll just keep on trying to change, keep on learnig to make this situation better.

How long do you work everyday?

Exterior walls construction

You can see how the exterior walls construction is going as below. This material is an avarage ceramics and is made of minerals, mixing with fibers, we call it "special cement board".

Firstly, we put a sheet around a house, the sheet has moisture transmission and water proof capability. We then mount wooden bar, maybe furring strips in English. The bar also makes airway between sheets and wall to prevent the build-up of moisture in the wall.

After above, we put hooks on the bars to receive wall materials. We sometimes Knock in a nail to fix the walls, but nail mark is noticable. Better to use hooks.

Look at the space between the houses. How narrow! You can easily see like this case in Japan. It should not be easy work for the craftsmen.

Finally, sealing compound is mounted on the joints.

This is a typical wall material here in Japan. Our house used to be made of lime plaster, wooden board and local clay mineral or mud. I think lots of Japanese people prefer these natural materials to recent ceramic walls, but it costs a lot, we can't use it. The recent wall material is good at fire resistance to fire, strength and price.