Machiya

Machiya (Japanese町 家/町 屋) are traditional wooden townhouses in Japan.

Introduction

Machiya ( townhouses ) and Noka (farmhouses ) are the two main representatives of the historical settlement Architecture of Japan, collectively known as Minka. Usually have Machiya housed urban merchants, called Chonin (町 人). The word Machiya stetzt of two Japanese characters (kanji ) together: machi (町) is called the city while ya (家or屋) means something like home or business.

Typology

Machiya are normally directly connected to the public street space and serve as both a residential and commercial building. Typical are the very narrow street frontage and the relatively large depth of the building. The public area of the building is located on the side of the road on the ground floor and can be a workshop, office or retail space house. There is also a shop window that can be closed by sliding or folding elements also. These mostly dark wood elements characterize the appearance of the public street space authoritative, which is exacerbated by the terraced housing.

Building form

Most of the Machiya are called Hirai houses, with an eaves to the road and a narrow roof overhang. However, Chance can be found that have the gable to their narrow side and the eaves to the longitudinal side and buildings. The length of the street frontage was called maguchi (间 口) and was an expression of the prosperity of the building owner. The length is specified in ken (间), a traditional Japanese measure of length. Usually, the street frontage of a Machiya 3 to 3.5 was ken long, which is about 6 meters. Partly building but could also be up to 10 ken wide ( 18-20 meters).

Ground plan

The floor plan of a Machiya is long and narrow. This is partly due to the high taxes that were based on the length of the street frontage, and on the other with the concept of privacy. Is found at the back of the building a small courtyard with a small warehouse. The goods were stored here safe from predators.

The basic idea of the internal structure of the building has much in common with other historic Japanese residential typologies, for example with the Noka.

Access to the lounge is via a spacious door, even Odo (大 戸) called. The subsequent development area (土 间, doma ) with open kitchen only has a dirt floor. From here you enter into one or more living rooms (居室 部, kyoshitsubu ), which have a slightly raised wooden floor, which is covered with tatami mats. The narrow, elongated, opening up the area also has the function of connecting the business to the street front with the warehouse in the back yard, so he became a very lively area. With this property, the development area as Tōriniwa (通り 庭) was called. For the public, but it has always been taboo. This type of Machiya was typical of the Kansai region and the western Japan. In the Kanto region, a type also could be found, in which the input area remained unpaved and was maedoma (前 土 间) called.

The main living room is usually located at the back of the building, with views over the garden and to the warehouse. The sliding shoji form the walls of the rooms and allow - as in most Japanese houses - a large variability. The doors can be opened, closed, or removed completely. The room size, number and shape can be relatively easily adapted to the current situation.

Gardens

The gardens at the rear of Machiya are called Tsuboniwa (坪 庭). In general, they have the exact size of two tatami Maten ( approximately 180 x 180 cm). The original purpose of the lighting and ventilation of the interior. The fact that the Machiya are ranked very close to each other, the small gardens but have a very introverted atmosphere. There are no views of the surroundings.

On the design of the gardens very much value is placed by the user always. They are the status symbol of the Machiya. Some of the Tsuboniwa can be very simple and follow a very purist approach. One can find only a plant or Steinbasin on gray gravel. Others can be a complex composition of plants, rocks, bridges and other design elements.

The gardens are to be seen directly from the interior and enhance the lives creatively in a Machiya. The rooms open directly to the gardens. By means of sliding doors, a direct connection can be established. Some have called Machiya between indoor and outdoor space, a sort of wooden balcony as an intermediate zone, Engawa (縁 侧).

Usually, the Tsuboniwa are a surprise to the visitors to the house. It can be from the street not imagine, that there is a Tsuboniwa and in what intensity it was designed by the owners.

History

The oldest known Machiya ( Kuriyama house in Gojon, Nara ) is dated to the year 1607. However, it is known that the term " Machiya " has already been used in the middle of the Heian period. At that time the term was used for small homes that are to the right and left of the marketplace, the street facing and have a small area for a business.

Over time were original, very ephemeral roof coverings, such as thatch or with stones fastened wood shingles, replaced by durable roof tiles. Walls with exposed wood beams were covered by thick layers of plaster. Both were done in order to achieve a longer shelf life and greater fire resistance. In addition, flat, dark upstairs rooms turned too high, full living rooms.

Gallery

Model of a Machiya in Kyoto

Road train in Imai