Traditional Japanese Home

Japan has both modern and traditional styles of housing. The traditional Japanese house is a beautiful sight to behold. Made of wood and paper, it has an organic feel and look that can be found nowhere else. Individual houses in Japan are either single or two stories.

The traditional Japanese house made of wood is expected to last about twenty years before having to be repaired or rebuilt. Each year it is depreciated, unlike homes here in the United States.

The interior design is what really sets the traditional Japanese house apart from European or American designs. With the exception of the entry way (genkan), the kitchen (daidokoro), the bathing room (sento) and the toilet (benjo), the rooms in a traditional Japanese house does not have a designated use.

A room can easily be a living area, a bedroom, a dining room or any combination. Large rooms are partitioned by fusuma, sliding doors made of wood and thick paper. The paper used for fusuma is called washi. These sliding doors can be removed whenever a larger space is needed.

In large traditional houses, there was one large room, or ima (living space) that could be divided as needed. The smaller rooms like kitchen, bath and toilet were small extensions to one side. Rouka, or wooden-floored hallways, follow the edge of the home. Windows are made of wood and shoji paper, which is thin enough to let the light shine through.

Even modern Japanese houses tend to have one traditional Japanese room, called a washitsu. This room is sparsely if at all furnished, and has tatami mats on the floor. In a traditional Japanese house, this style may be reflected throughout the home. Tatami are thick straw mats covered with stitched, woven rushes. Tatami are smooth and firm enough to walk on, while making a sleeping surface more comfortable than wood or stone.

The genkan is usually a step below the level of the rest of the house. When people enter the home, they leave their shoes in the genkan, pointed toward the door so they only need to slip them on when they are ready to go out. Indoor slippers are often worn inside the house.

The kitchen in most traditional Japanese homes will contain a stove with a very small oven and broiler and an electric refrigerator. Counter space for food preparation and a sink are also located in the kitchen.

The bathing room contains a tub and is often waterproof. An adjacent area is available for showering. The Japanese re-use bathwater, either for other bathers or for washing laundry, so it is important not to dirty the water with soap and dirt. Dirty portions of the body can be washed before stepping into the bath.

The toilet in Japan can either be a Western style toilet, or a squat toilet installed in the floor. The room containing the toilet is often only as large as a typical toilet stall, and the person using this room puts on special slippers while in this room.

Heating in the winter is traditionally supplied by a kotatsu. This is a low table with a heating element on the bottom. During cold weather, people sit around the table and keep the heat contained with a light duvet-type cover that surrounds the table.

Author: Robin Mae

Robin loves to learn about new countries and different cultures. You can read more of her latest country of interest, Japan, on her blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_Mae

Feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here: Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Wall Fans.

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Japanese Style Bedrooms

Japanese design and culture has now entered bedroom decor. This is for good reason: Many people find its simple lines soothing. Since your bedroom is your innermost retreat, your sanctuary, it should offer you comfort as you enter the room. By utilizing sparing, but luxurious, Japanese decor and design, you can create a relaxing, meditative, bedroom. How do you go about creating a Japanese styled bedroom? Let’s find out.

Start from the bottom up, and consider your flooring. Would you like traditional tatami (tightly woven straw) mat flooring? It is very comfortable to bare feet. Traditional Japanese design requires a certain mat layout that dictates certain room dimensions. Modern Japanese-inspired decor may use a traditional tatami mat layout as a floor insert surrounded by other flooring or one tatami mat on top of hard flooring to use as a yoga mat.

Next is the central feature of a Japanese-style bedroom – a futon or platform bed. In Japanese design, this bed does not have a footboard or, sometimes, a headboard. It has an extended platform on which the mattress sits in the middle. It usually does not have box springs. It sits low to the ground and sometimes well away from all walls. Use all silk bedding in a single rich color to continue the Japanese theme (and to pamper yourself). Add several silk pillows to your platform bed to complete the effect.

Add shoji-style lamps for lighting. Their translucent panels are especially good for creating warm, diffused lighting. Put one on a dimmer switch on either side of the bed and have bright enough light for reading or soft, romantic lighting from the same lamps. Shoji doors could replace French doors leading into your bathroom or out onto your deck. Skylights also look classy framed to appear shoji-style.

Remember to keep bedside tables and other tables in the bedroom area low. Keep them in proportion to the height of your bed. If your bedroom also has a sitting area, consider keeping the Japanese theme and use a low table and zabuton (the seating cushions).

You should also consider adding a tokonoma, which is a small, raised alcove in which you might display a wall scroll, and other decorative features. A sliding-door wall closet can be opened up and trimmed to make a deep tokonoma. A shallow alcove can be framed out and set in the wall. If you are displaying a tall, narrow object, you can even put a tokonoma between studs. Traditionally, the decorations are changed every month or so. Small geisha dolls, a bonsai tree, or a Buddha statue are other ideas for your tokonoma decorations.

So there you go.

When you are ready for a soothing bedroom makeover, consider Japanese design ideas. Whether you go completely traditional with a tamaki room, and all the proper accents or whether you choose a lighter impact, only incorporating a few Japanese-inspired items in with your traditional bed and flooring, a bedroom with Japanese style elements is a mentally soothing retreat that you will look forward to visiting at the end of a stressful day.

Author: Tom Matherson

Tom Matherson is a writer for Worldwide Tapestries where you’ll see a wide range of wall tapestry discounts to decorate any home, including a fine range of French style tapestries and Oriental wall hangings as wall art to decorate your room or home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Matherson

Feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here: Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Wall Fans.

Japanese Bedroom Designs

After a stressful and busy day, wouldn’t it be nice to come home to and rest in a quiet and uncluttered bedroom? This feel is what a Japanese bedroom gives. These Zen designs are proven to provide the sense of tranquility and relaxation that you need. Here are some Japanese bedroom designs that you may use for your own bedroom.

The first item that is vital in any Japanese bedroom is a low platform bed, which may or may not have a frame. Bed frames are usually slanted or curved. The bed is usually placed in the center of the room or facing a window. Windows are usually big and are left open to allow natural light inside the room.

The keyword for Japanese design is minimalism. There are no frills or unnecessary décor. What you see are clean lines and solid dark colors. The wooden bed, which is usually dark brown or black in color, is accentuated by white linen sheets and some pillows with solid dark colors like rust, red, green or purple. And because Japanese furniture is multi-functional, these beds may also provide additional storage. Pull-out drawers are sometimes placed under the bed.

Because there are not too many furniture inside a Japanese bedroom, each piece is essential. What you often see in the room is a dresser, an armoire or wardrobe, and a nightstand. Sometimes there is a tiny tea table and a chair. If more storage is needed, a "tansu" or chest is placed. These chests are usually made of light wood such as elm, kiri or woven bamboo. What’s more, these chests are usually stackable, so as not occupy a lot of space. The furniture also serves a dual purpose. The dresser has drawers for storage purposes. The nightstand also serves as a table.

Another quality of the Japanese bedroom is harmony. That is why each furniture piece is of the same color and type of wood, like mahogany or cherry. Aside from achieving harmony among the furniture pieces, there is also the characteristic of being in harmony with nature. You can place a bonsai or some potted plant in a corner or on top of the nightstand, or a painting with waterscape or scenery may be mounted on the wall. To complete the look, walls are painted with a light color like cream or yellow.

There are other ways to create the Japanese feel in your room. Clear your room of any clutter and take out unnecessary furniture. Add some Japanese home decor like a floor lamp, shoji screen divider or a geisha doll. By changing the décor with Japanese or Japanese-inspired pieces, you can create that look.

Author: Albert Lee

For bedroom design ideas, visit http://www.bedroomdecoratingideas101.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Albert_Lee

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Japanese Lacquer, Finest Sprinkled Pictures

Before I describe these unique and beautiful works of art, exclusively Japanese, I feel that you need to know more about Lacquer, the extraordinary medium that was used. Only then will you fully appreciate these brilliant creations.

For readers who are unfamiliar with old Japanese Lacquer, I suspect you will be thinking of the typical modern Lacquer trays and bowls that are mass-produced. These items are very decorative, but completely fail to compare with the magnificent earlier hand made works.

From China to Japan

Lacquer is really the sap from a tree known as ‘Rhus Vernicifera’. The Chinese were the first to discover and use it, at least a century before Christ, when it was used as a paint, and more often as a preservative. It was a very effective preservative, as many pieces still exist from as far back as the Han period 206BC, when Lacquer was very popular and in extensive use.

The earliest known Japanese Lacquer dates back to about the 7th Century, but it was not until the 14th and 15th century that the Japanese Lacquer works became so much more decorative. By then they had refined and created exceptional techniques, far finer and more beautiful than the Chinese lacquer that they had simply originally copied.

The Chinese had used shades of black, brown, yellow, green, and mostly red or cinnabar Lacquer. They mainly favoured deep carving of the Lacquer, to form the decoration, and produced some outstanding work.

They often applied the colours in layers, so that once carved, these colours would be revealed. One particular technique is known as ‘Guri’ Lacquer: the colours mostly red and black were built up in layers, and then a geometric or symmetrical pattern would be carved with a deep `V’ shaped cut, so that all these alternating layers would be revealed within the cuts. The Chinese also painted, incised and inlaid Lacquer with iridescent pieces of shell, but these works were treasured by the Japanese often more so, than by the Chinese.

To begin with all these methods were copied, but by about the 15th century the Japanese had become, justifiably, the unrivalled masters of the art!

Lacquer was, quite rightly, highly valued for its lasting qualities and strength. A very high gloss could be achieved, proving impervious to alcohol, acids and hot liquids. It would also have appealed to the Zen Buddhism ideals of ‘Yin and Yang’, as Lacquer appears to be so delicately beautiful and light in weight. Yet, it is hard, impermeable and enduring.

The preparation

It is a very difficult medium to work with, uncompromising, sticky, and time consuming. It had to be strained to remove any impurities, and gently heated to thicken, and evaporate any moisture content. All the time it had to be kept in a dust free environment, and added to these difficulties, in its liquid form it gives off a poisonous gas! Strangely, it requires a damp humid atmosphere for it to harden.

It had to be applied in very thin layers, otherwise it runs, and if too thick, will not harden at all but will just form a skin. After each layer had hardened, all the time in a dust free area, it was carefully rubbed down before another layer would be added.

An average piece consisted of a minimum of 30 layers, in order that there would not be a trace of the wood base, or on larger pieces the hemp cloth applied in the early layers, to help strengthen the wood. The Lacquer Artist would have taken over, only at this stage, to create the decoration by the addition of yet even more layers.

The number of colours possible, due to chemical reactions with pigments and the composition of Lacquer were limited. So Lacquer artists were still restricted and blue was a very rare colour.

It was the Japanese that developed the idea and the techniques of adding gold and silver to liven up the decoration. Real gold and silver metals were used in the form of foil, flakes, metal particles of various grades, as well as powders. All of these precious metals were brilliantly used to great advantage, particularly in the late 18th and early 19th century.

The sprinkling of gold or silver metal particles had been used before and over a very long period, to brighten up the interiors. Even very early Lacquer works have ‘Nashiji’ inside. This is where fine particles of gold have simply been sprinkled in to the Lacquer. Some were scattered unevenly, producing cloud effects, whilst others varied in the density. However no pictures were formed.

Sprinkled, not painted!

In the 18th century they invented and refined the idea of sprinkled pictures, and these were used to great effect in what are known as ‘Togadashi’ pieces. They are easily identified, as the surface of the Lacquer is always perfectly smooth in Togadashi work.

These designs and amazing pictures were created purely, by very skilfully pouring various grades of fine metal and pigment powders on to the wet Lacquer, so that they would sink in. There was no way of correcting any errors! Extra layers of the background colour, normally black, would be added over the picture. Then by carefully polishing down until the picture reappears, the top edges of the metal particles would be made to glisten from the polish, providing brilliance impossible to achieve any other way. The last very thin coats would be of the purest clear Lacquer, providing the mirror like high gloss finish.

Various shades of black were created, by charcoal mixed with different quantities of silver powder, so that they could even simulate painted brush strokes. These powders were mainly used for black pictures on a gold background, that one would never imagine were created by sprinkling techniques. What is also quite remarkable, is the very fine degree of control in shading that they were able to achieve. This meant that far more sophisticated pictures could be created, than had ever been seen before.

There are three types of sprinkled picture techniques in all and Togadashi, already described, is my favourite! Another is ‘Hiramakie’, which is where quite a thickly sprinkled gold powder is used, and the lacquer is raised just a little above the background. As usual the surface is polished and burnished, before the final clear layers, and has a very rich appearance. Lastly, there is ‘Takamakie’, which is again similar to Hiramakie, only it is in much higher relief. This thickness was achieved by building up and modelling the areas required in relief, with a combination of Lacquer and charcoal, before applying the gold powder layers.

Highlights of pure gold

Many Lacquer artists made use of a combination of these techniques in a piece of work. Just to further enrich these pictures, finely shaped tiny pieces of pure gold, so small that it is hard to imagine how they were handled, are individually applied near the final surface to create highlights. Frequently these are exactly matched shapes, tiny squares or diamond pieces that are all so amazingly very accurately placed.

Togadashi Boxes

One of our favourite examples of this type of work in this collection is a fine Box that appears as two overlapping boxes. One shows the figure of the swordsmith forging the sword ‘Little Fox’, assisted by the Fox Spirit in the guise of a woman; the other has an overall design of a mass of gold and coloured flowers.

Looking closely at the gold centres of the flowers one can see how these consist of a number of very tiny shaped flakes of gold; each flake has been carefully placed by hand.

It also has a marvellous fitted tray just in gold Togadashi of three foxes running in a landscape with a really dream like quality. The border of the tray is decorated in ‘Gyobu’, which is where each individual flake of gold has also been positioned by hand, rather than sprinkled.

Another wonderful Box that is purely, fine Togadashi, depicts a busy street market scene, and what more can I say, other than it is an outstanding piece of work!

Neither of these boxes is signed, but they are nevertheless, of the finest quality. To see the photographs please use the link at the end of this article. These wonderful lacquer works feature on Japanese inro too (the subject of another article).

Modern works

A word of warning when buying lacquer, it is important that the condition is both good and original. As there are now some cleverly repaired pieces on the market, expert advice should always be obtained.

Fine Lacquer is made even today, and there are certain living traditional Lacquer artists who are held in very high esteem in Japan. So much so, that some have been designated as ‘Living National Treasures’, and their contemporary hand made Lacquer work is in high demand and extremely expensive.

I have seen an example, at a Lacquer study weekend held at the V & A museum. A remarkable modern box that combined thick clear Perspex with black Lacquer in a geometric design that really was very dramatic. Personally I still prefer the earlier works and for the cost of this modern box a very good collection could be formed!

About The Author: John N. Cohen

All about how beautiful Japanese lacquer, found in 18th & 19th century works of art where exquisite pictures were formed, surprisingly, by sprinkling techniques rather than being painted.

The author has been a very keen collector for many years creating ‘The Cohen collection’.

See the photographs for this article by using the following link:

http://www.jncohen.net/antiques/articles.htm

http://www.jncohen.net/Japanese_lacquer/index.htm

Feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here: Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Wall Fans.

East/West Interior Decorating
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The Ancient Japanese Culture

The ancient culture of Japan is referred to as early as the 1st century AD. The Chinese historical texts and archaeological evidence indicate the presence of people on the islands of Japan in the paleolithic period. Ancient Japanese culture is the product of a rich ecosystem and an archipelago that supported human development.

Although there is no precise date to point out when humans first made the Japanese archipelago their home, the land has thrown up some amazing Paleolithic tools. The core tools and flake tools unearthed is evidence enough of a great migration from different parts of the Asian continent.

The earliest era studied dates back between 30,000 to 10,000 years ago. The resultant Japanese culture is an amalgamation of activities surrounding hunting and gathering, and pit dwellings and caves. The best way to study ancient Japanese culture is to segregate it into the Pre-Ceramic and Ceramic eras. There are four distinct cultures that emerge from this study, Jomon, Yayoi, Tumulus and Yamato.

Jomon Culture

The term Jomon refers to a type of pottery found during the time. Jomon or cord marks were the basic patterns observed on the clay. Jomon pottery displays features that are common to Neolithic cultures around the world. The use of chipped and polished tools, pottery making and the initiation of agriculture and cattle rearing were the main features of the era. People also patronized the development of weaving and architecture. The Kyushu Pottery from the southernmost of the Japanese islands, is the result of a continental influence. Since Kyushu pottery remains predate, Jomon culture is believed to be Mesolithic.

The development of pottery generated a highly developed culture and lifestyle among the people of the era. They displayed great diversity and complexity in the art. The products of this age highlighted a lot of elaborate decoration and an ascending order of development. The people thrived on hunting, fishing and gathering edible roots that still form a major part of Japanese food. Clothes were made of organic materials and ornamentation was a necessity. The custom of extracting or filing certain teeth was a part of a rite announcing adulthood. The Jomon culture was responsible for the regional differences, many of which can be seen even today and evident in the Japanese language.

Yayoi Culture

The Yayoi culture was present in Kyushu even as the Jomon culture was witnessing development. It spread from Kyushu to the northern districts of Honshu,which is also the largest island in Japan. The name Yayoi comes from a district in Tokyo. The name suggests the first evidence of the era being unearthed at Yayoi. The pottery during this era was fired and turned on wheels to impart durability and elaborate shape. The advanced technique helped create pottery for practical use. The other signs of evidence of the Yayoi culture of Japan include a number of metal objects and the cultivation of rice.

The influx of Chinese culture into Korea and thereafter into Japan through invasion is amply proved by the iron and bronze implements that indicate traces of Han culture. The Japanese people of this era made axes, sickles, hoes and swords. They also took to the cultivation of rice along the Yangtze River delta in southern China. Their techniques of maintaining paddy fields were advanced, involving a lot of time, capital and manual labor. These people wove cloth on primitive looms and used vegetable fibers for the desired dye and print.

The migration from China and North Korea as well as South Korea to Japan was most observed in the character of the people. The addition and mixture of sanguineous elements and difference in Jomon and Yayoi skeletal remains are more nutritional than human genetics.

Tumulus or Tomb Culture

This culture thrived during a ‘blank period’ that resulted due to frequent exchanges with other countries. This era or phase in ancient Japanese culture was probably due to the imminent collapse of Yamatai and the initiation of the Yamato kingdom. The unification of the nation could be commemorated as an achievement of the fighting between Wo and Koguryo in the mid-4th century. The resultant military success led to a long period of preparation and the coining of Nihon Shoki or the Chronicles of Japan.

The people of this era and especially the survivors of the aftermath generated a culture unique to circumstance and naturally one that resulted in the term ‘Tumulus’. The large burial mounds or kofun was a common archaeological feature during the time. Tombs were large and either circular or keystone-shaped. The people built enormous tumuli with a number of modifications for grave goods.

Yamato Culture

The Yamato kings or kimi focused their rule around Mount Miwa, their object of worship. The secular and sacred functions unified in the sacred connection with Mount Miwa. During this time, agricultural techniques were quite advanced. The people used iron tools for cultivation, leveling and flooding paddy fields. The legends extolled in the Kojiki and Nihon shoki, record Yamato expansion throughout the archipelago. The religious focus at this time was the Isonokami Shrine at Tenri. Most of the treasured items found at the Isonokami Shrine were in fact the weapons! The seven-pronged sword or shichishito is a part of National Treasure.

Weaving, smithy and ideographic script are evidence of this great era. Yamato culture reached its peak in the early 5th century. The rulers were driven towards a military approach and were rather secular in comparison with the earlier priestly kings. They controlled the increased agricultural output and monopolized military technology. People involved exclusively in farming were mostly a part of lineal groups, who worshiped the ancestral deity Kami. The power of the Yamato court spread with increased production of weapons, armor and construction of irrigation systems.

Ancient Japanese culture witnessed climatic changes and influx of foreign influence. This has churned out the present amalgamation of an abundant fauna seen in Japanese gardens and unique human population. The Little Giant of the Orient has long impacted major innovations and lifestyles around the world.

By Gaynor Borade
Published: 2/11/2009

Feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here: Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Wall Fans.

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