Exhibition Hall

●【Introducing Japanese Folk Houses】 In the Exhibition Hall in the Museum House, multi-media display are used to explain how the folk houses were designed and built, and illustrate the life style of the people who lived in them. ●Zone 1【Structure of Folk Houses】 Folk houses are dwellings with traditional form for the general public. Japanese folk houses have a variety of characteristics distinctive to the climate, natural features or social structures of their region of origin. We look at these houses with three points of view; the arrangements of the rooms (floor plans), structures and designs. 'Floor plans' (madori in Japanese) directly reflected the way people lived, 'structures' (tsukuri) were frameworks, and 'designs' (katachi) were figures produced by them. Japanese folk houses were designed to be of practical use. We can find abundant beauty in the buildings, which have been maintained for hundreds of years.

 

●Zone 2 【Building of Folk Houses】 The constructions of folk houses in modern times were generally called 'Fusin' ; the building of new houses, and also the extending, rebuilding, and re-roofing (re-thatching) of old houses were known as 'Fusin', (literally communal efforts). Here the work by professional craftsmen and the work of mutual aid by the residents of the village met. For example, people gathered bringing materials and articles, and took part in the work of re-roofing. At 'Fushin', people built a house and enjoyed the cooperation of the whole village, so it was a people's association. The origin of the word 'Fushin' is Buddhist, meaning "to request an act of charity far and wide" and also "Zen trainee monks work all together".

●Zone 3 【The Geographic Style of Folk Houses】

Farming villages on the plains are roughly divided into two types, 'sansongata'(sparse) and 'shusongata'(clustered). In a 'sanson' type village, houses lie scattered about, while houses are clustered together in a 'shuson' type village.
Many villages of 'sanson' type had windbreak forests planted around the houses, in order to fix the boundary line and to protect the houses from strong winds. Windbreaks grew in the areas of San-in, Hokuriku, and Kanto-Plain in relation to seasonal winds. On the other hand, 'shuson' type houses were enclosed with earthen walls, hedges, or bamboo clumps. Sometimes an entire house was surrounded with an annex building. Otherwise, a whole village was sometimes surrounded with a trench. People thought up various kinds of facilities to protect the folk houses from nature or unwelcome intruders.

●Zone 4 【Life in folk houses】

Both 'Irori', an open hearth (installed in the floor), and 'kamado', a cooking hearth, were bare necessities of life in folk houses. It is well known that 'Iroris' prevailed in east Japan (actually north-east Japan) and the 'Kamados' in west Japan (actually south-west Japan).
The Iroris served both as warming and cooking in the northern area where coldness was severe, and the Kamados served as cooking only in the southern area where warming was not so much regarded as important. The fire was burning brightly in both of these hearths for people's daily life all through the year. There was a saying, "Iroris in the east and Kamados in the west". It was one of the figures which showed the fact that our ancestors adapted themselves to the climate conditions of their environment.

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Village in Japan

1. Suzuki house

Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture
This UMAYADO（an inn for horse traders）was built around the early 19th century in a post town in Fukushima Prefecture.
The UMAYADO was used by the horse dealers while traveling to auction with their horses.
The horses were kept in the earthen floored portion of the inn, and the horse dealers stayed on the second floor. The more wealthy horse dealers probably stayed in the guest rooms at the rear of the house.

2. Ioka house

Nara City, Nara Prefecture
This merchant's house, built between late 17th century and early 18th century, was originally located in Nara City, Nara Prefecture.
The house served for several generations as a shop selling lamp oil before it became an incense shop. The tiled roof, plaster walls, lattice work to the left of the raised main door and the folding veranda are typical of the merchant's house of the period.

3. Saji gate

Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
This is the gate of a Samurai's residence built in an early stage of 19th century. It was located in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture.
The Samurai warriors ruled the common people during Japanese feudal period. As a symbol of authority they could have their residence furnished with a special gate which the common people were forbidden to have.
The building beside the gate was used as a waiting place for retainers of the visitor.

4. Misawa house

Ina City, Nagano Prefecture
This house was built around the middle of the 19th century in a post town in Nagano Prefecture.
It was the residence of the KUMIGASHIRA（assistant to the village chief）for several generations, and it also served as a pharmacy. The structure is quite sound and traditional, with touch of local influence evident in the stone-laid shingle roof.

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Village In Tohoku

22. Kudo house

Shiwa county, Iwate Prefecture
This is a MAGARIYA, or " L " shaped house, built around the middle of the 18th century in the Shiwa district of Iwate Prefecture. The majority of houses built in Tohoku Region （the northeastern part of Japan）were of this style.The main part of the house was used for living quarters, and the rest was used as a horse stable.

23. Sugawara house Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture Built around the late 18th century ,this house originally belonged to a farmer in the mountainside village of Asahi in Yamagata Prefecture. The roof is built in the YOSEMUNE ZUKURI（hipped roof）style . The roof windows are the HAPPO（a kind of dormer）style and the front window was also used as a doorway in the periods of very heavy snowfall, common to that region.

 

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Village in Kanto , Chiba Prefecture

11.Sakuda house

Sanbu-gun, Chiba Prefecture
This house was built around the late 17th century in a fishing village in Chiba Prefecure. It originally belonged to the chief of the fishermen. It is built in the BETSUMUNE ZUKURI style, with separate ridges for the main part of the house and the earthen floor section. Where the eaves of the two roofs meet is an eaves gutter made of a log. Note how the beams above the living room are skillfully assembled with crooked and twisted lumbers.

13.Hirose house

Koushu City, Yamanashi Prefecture
This gable roof house was built around the late 17th century in Enzan City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It conveys a closed－in and primitive feeling due to the fact that the living room has an earthen floor with only two pillars, called TORll BASHIRA, standing on it. There are very few parts of the house that open to the outside to admit light.

14.Ota house Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture This BETSUMUNE ZUKURI（two sectioned）style house was built around the late 17th century in Kasama City Ibaraki Prefecture. It consists of the main quarters and the earthen floored kitchen, which was constructed 100 years later. This house style was commonly seen in the warmer areas on the Pacific Ocean side of Japan.<

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Village in Shin-etusu , Nagano Prefecture

1. Water Mill

Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture
This hut was built around the middle of the 19th century in Nagano Prefecture. Very few water wheels of this type are left in Japan these days. The mill, two motars and two wooden pestles can be seen here.

2. Sasaki house

Minamisaku-gun, Nagano Prefecture
This village chief's house from Nagano Prefecture was built around 1731. The two guest rooms, the bathroom, and the lavatory at the rear of the structure were added 15 years later for special guests. Although it was built in a cold winter region, the relatively light snowfall enabled the use of thin pillars, giving the house a refreshing appearance.

3. Emukai house

Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture
This GASSHO ZUKURI(steep-sloped roof)style house was built between the late 17th century and the early 18th century in a village in Toyama Prefecture where HEIKE( a famous Samurai clan in ancient Japan) refugees were said to have settled. Because snowfall in this region was heavy, the sharply inclined roof was neccesary to prevent the house from collapsing by the weight of the snow.

4. Yamada house

Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture
This GASSHO ZUKURI style house was biult around the early 18th century in Katsura village, in a mountainous region of Toyama Prefecture. Because a dam is being constructed in the region, Katsura village has disappeared already and this house is the last remnant of the village.
The most unusual feature of its construction is that the floor level is very high. The family used the space beneath the floor to make a source of gunpowder as tax payment for the feudal lord.

5. Nohara house

Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture
This GASSHO ZUKURI style house was built around the late 18th century in a mountainous village of Toyama Prefecture.
There are two IRORI(sunken hearths)in the HIROMA, which is a room with wooden floor that served as a living room and kitchen.
The HIDANA, (frame suspended over the hearth)served to dry and preserve things. Trees that grew on cliff sides and therefore had trunks that were bent, were used for the beams above the IRORI. This adds both structural strength and beauty to the house.
The room for the Buddhist altar is the characteristic of Toyama region.

6. Yamashita house

Ohno County, Gifu Prefecture
This GASSHO ZUKURI style house was built around the early 19th century in Shirakawa village, Gifu Prefecture. It was moved to Kawasaki City, and was used as a traditional Japanese restaurant for a while before its final move to MINKA-EN.
The attic of this house was used to raise silkworms and as a storage area for food and firewood.

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Village In Kanagawa Prefecture

1. Kitamura house

Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture
This farmer's house was built in Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture. When the house was disassembled for the move to its present location, a writing found on the structural members identified the date of its construction as 1687. The main characterstic of this house is a raised bamboo floor in the living room. This design provided better ventilation.

2. Kiyomiya house Tama ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. This closed-in style of farmer's house was built around the late 17th century　in Noborito, Kawasaki city, Kanagawa Prefecture. The house has only three parts that open to the outside to admit light. The floored and un-floored portions of the house are divided by latticed windows. There are characteristics of Japanese farm houses of the early Edo period（1603～1867）.

3. Ito house Asao-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture This house was built around the early 18th century for the headman（NANUSHI）of a village located in the northwestern part of Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The KOSHIMADO, or latticed windows that were built in the front center of the house, are called SHISHI MADO or SHISHI YOKE. These specially designed windows would have kept wolves and wild boars from entering the house. 4. Kokagesan shrine Asao-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture KOKAGESAN was the god worshiped by silkworm raisers. This shrine was built during the 1860's in Kawasaki City. Inside the shrine there is a small palace that has relief carvings of the KOKAGESAN god's story on its sides.

5. Iwasawa house Aiko County, Kanagawa Prefecture This farmer's house, built around the late 17th century, was originally located in Kiyokawa Village in the Tanzawa Mountains, Kanagawa Prefecture. It consists of three floored rooms and one un-floored room. This is a very typical floor plan of the old houses of this period in Kanagawa Prefecture.

6. Ferryman's hut

Tama ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture
This is a ferryman's hut built in 1929. It was used as a resting place and a lookout point for ferrymen who worked along the Tama River in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

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