It is popularly believed that Japan is a small country geographically with
a homogeneous culture.
Japan is, however, a long country where the climate varies from region
to region. This is reflected
in a large variety of climates, which has give birth to a large variety
of its cultures and a rich variety
of syles of houses.
" Snow Country " written by the Nobel Prize writer Kawatabata
Yasunari begins with the line
which says : " Passing through the tunnel, I found myself in the snow country. "
The montain ranges run like a spine through Central Honshu. The cold winter
from Siberia
absorbs humidity when it crosses the Japan Sea and shakes off its moisture
when it crosses
over the mountain ranges, turning it into snow. During the winter times,
the dry and cold wind
blows in Tokyo and other areas of the Kanto region facing the Pacific Ocean.That cold and dry
wind is called " Karakkaze ".
On both sides of the mountain ranges, at a short distance of less than
10 kilometers, people
live in a different climate which makes their houses completely different.
People know how to
adapt themselves to the climates which has originated different cultures
and different styles of
life and the houses.
(a) Huge houses in Shirakawa-go,
Gifu prefecture - of Gasshoo-zukuri
style houses declared
Heritage of Humanity by
Unesco
( b )
Breath-taking and romantic beauty of
the Gasshou-zukuri style houses
Suganuma, Gokayama,
prefectura de Toyama prefecture
declared as Heritage of humanity
by Unesco.
( a )
Postal Stamp of the " Gasshou-zukuri "
style houses in Ogi-machi, Shirakawa-mura,
" Shirakawa-go ",
Gifu prefecture
( a )
Structure of the attic to withstand the
weight of heavy snow. No metalic nails nor clamps
are used.
|
(a-1) The roof of the house of Mr.
Yoshiyama, Ogi-machi, Shirakawa-mura,
Shirakawa-go,
Gifu prefecture.
The replacement of reed " Kaya " on the
roof needs many hands.
The villagers are united by the
traditional system of mutual
assistance of labour called
" YUI - unity "
(a )
Unity and solidarity of Yui -
mutual assistance of labor
|
( b )
Suganuma, Gokayama,
Toyama prefecture
Declared Heritage of Humanity
by Unesco
|
( a and b)
The Gasshou-zukuri style houses in Suganuma, kami-taira-mura, Gokayama,
and Ainoura,
Taira-mura, Gokayama, in Toyama prefecture, and in Ogi-machi, Shirakawa-mura,
Shirakawa
-go, Gifu prefecture were declared as Heritages of Humanity by Unesco in 1995. In other
neighboring villages, hundreds of the traditional Gasshou-zukuri houses have already
disappeared, as they could not withstand the changes in their social structures
which had been
brought about by the developments in the transport systems, high-ways and
industrialization
of Japan.
The three hamlets are not already the places secluded , being among the
mountains, from the
rest of Japan. It takes 2 hours and 9 minutes by the express train from
Nagoya to Takayama,
and from Takayama to Ogi-machi, the bus takes 28 minutes. In only three
hamlets, the
Gasshou-zukuri houses are found collectively. There are some
Gasshou-zukuri style houses
also in other neighboring villages. They are, however, among many houses
affected by
modernization and not found as a collective cultural unit.
These three hamlets are situated at the foot of 2,702 high Mt.Hakusan where
in the winter
times, they have a heavy snow-fall. Adapting themselves to the geographic,
climatic and also
social conditions of the land, people learned to build huge houses for
large families called
Gasshou-zukuri style houses. The carpenters build houses but their roofing
is made by
joint works of people united by the traditional mutual assistance system
called " YUI ".
It is said that the large family system originated during the 18th century
and lasted until
1920 ( Taisho Era ). In the case of Tooyama family, in 1887, they had 42
members of the
family living together in the same house of the Gasshou-zukuri style.
You must be surprised to know the fact that the Gasshou-zukuri houses,
heritages of
humanity in the montaneous region, in Gokayama and Shirakawa-go originated
from poverty
and its severe climate. Many villages in Gokayama and Shirakawa-go scarecely produced
10 koku of rice enough only for 10 persons. There are not enough land for rice growing.
People lived eating mainly millet or other grains. Only the eldest sons could inherit the houses
and farmlands. The eldest sons had not enough farmlands to be distributed
to their younger
brothers.
In the Edo Period, the younger sons of the farmer's family used to go to
large cities to work as
apprentices of merchants, or were adapted by other families who did not
have sons. Younger
sons must have their own families " Bunke - seperated house " independent from Honke - the
main house of their eldest brothers.
In Gokayama and Shirakawa-go, however, secluded from other large cities,
they did not travel
a long way to large cities to earn their living. The eldest brothers must
take care of their younger
brothers and needed to have large houses to accomodate families of their
youger brothers.
Gokayama and Shiragawa-go will be covered with snow during long winter
times. Farmers
could not work in their fields during the long winter. To increase their income, they started
keeping silk worms in the attics of their houses. Thus, the unique and peculiar large
Gasshou-zukuri houses originated.
The acute 60 degrees of the " V " upside down is designed to
keep off heavy snow fall on
the roofing, or to make it easy for people to throw down snow from the
roof., although
the houses are designed to withstand the weight of heavy snow fall.
People lived on the first floor and the upstair attic of two or three stories
was used to keep
silk worms and as warehouses to store agricultural tools.
Reed grows in the valley of Shirakawa-mura, but when they can get enough
reed, they
getbit in Shokawa adjacent to Shirakawa-mura. Altough Shokawa have some
wonderful
Gasshou-zukuri houses but it was not declared as Heritage of Humanity
by Unesco.
Sometimes, they go to the skirts of the Mr.Fuji to get it.
Reed of roofing must be be replaced every 30 - 50 years. People experience
it once
or twice in their lives. In old days, 100 - 300 people participated in
replacement of
the roofing, which used to be completed in a day or two. They are united
by the system
of mutual labor assistance called " YUI ",
Houses are built by carptenters but they are thatched by people who belonged
to the
union called " YUI ". In old days, there was no thatchers by
profession. A few of them
more experienced coordinated thatching works. All farmers in these
areas lived in
Gasshouzukuri style houses, and every farmer knew how to thatch houses.
" Yui " is not
the peculiar system only to the central mountaineous parts of Japan. "
Yui " existed and
exist even now in many rural regions of Japan. When a farmer get sick and
can not plant
rice plants or can not harvetst crops at the proper time, villagers offer their labour and do
farm work for him.
Some works can be done only with many hands. Without the system of " Yui ", the
" Gasshou-zukuri " style houses must have disappeared a long
time ago. Thatching
" Gasshou-zukuri " style houses need many hands.
Development and industrlrialization reached these mountaneous areas, by
means of
the advanced transport system and the high ways, afecting the life styles
and social
structures of traditional solidarity and union called " Yui ". Now,
these areas are not
the places secluded from the rest of Japan. it takes 2 hours and 9 minuted
to go to
Takayama from Nagoya by train. From Takayama to Ogi-machi, Shirakawa
-mura, it
takes 28 minutes by bus.
Now, some inhabitants in these areas are not farmers. Some do not live
in the
Gasshou-zukuri style houses. Now, usually, about 20 persons of " Yui
" participate in
thatching a house. It takes a week to complete thatching. They must one
or two expert
chief thatchers who coodinate the works.
In some cases, they ask some thatching company to have their houses thatched.
5 - 10 thatchers including professional thatchers take 1 - 2 weeks to finish
thatching.
In a country highly industrialized like Japan with an average income of
US$36,000
per person, maintainence of the Gasshou-zukuri is very expensive. The Gasshou-
zukuri houses could have survived, because the system of " Yui "
remains yet, and
people in these areas are enthusiastic about preservation of national and
world
heritages. They have received mental and material supports of Japanese
people.
Many volunteers come here now to offer their labor to help people thatch
the houses.
Some tourists want to visit there in April to help people thatch some houses.
April is
the best season for thatching the houses.
The inhabitants in Shirakawa established " Foundation for preserving
the world
heritage of the Gasshou-zukuri style houses with the capital of US$3,000,000
to help people financially to maintain the houses.
Now, some Gasshou-zukuri houses have been turned into inns, souvenir shops,
and tourist information centers.It will be an unforgettable experience
to stay in an
inn which is a heritage of humanity to be acquainted with the life style
of people
who have been living with the severe climate.
( c )
House of Kamihaga
family
Uchiko-cho,
Ehime pref.
( c-1)
The postal stamp
of the Kamihaga family
Uchiko-cho,
Ehime pref.
This was the house
of a manufacturer
of Japanese vegitable
wax made of Japanese
hazel who was prosperous
in 18th and 19th century.
Built in 1894
( h
)
The house of Kamio
family built in
1771
|
( d )
Postal stamp of
" Yakumo-honjin "
of Kowata family
Shinji-cho,
Shimane prefecture
( d-1 )
Yakumo-honjin is now
a restaurant-inn.
( f )
The house of Tomisawa
family. built in 1822.
This house was in
Gunma prefecture when
the above postal stamp
was issued. Mr. Tomisawa
donated this house to the
Tama city in the
Tokyo Metropolitan
city and was moved to
the Tama Central Park.
|
( e )
Postal stamp of
the house of
Naka family
Inner moat which sorrounds
the house of Naka Family
By courtesy of Mr.
Fujiwara of
" Nara Kanko - tourism
in Naka " ( Only
in Japanese )
( g )
The house which belonged
to the Shibutani family ,
Yamagata prefecture
The roofing is of the
so called " Kabuto - Helmet "
style.
|
(c) Uchiko-cho is a small town which prospered in the 18th and 19th centuries
for its industries
of " Mokuroo " - vegitable wax of Japanese hazel, and quality Japanese papers - Washi.
This town is one of the so-called " Little Kyoto " with its rich
historical heritages and its beauty.
It is near Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime prefecture in the Shikoku
Island.
Kamihaga was one of the most important " Mokuroo " making famlies.
The house is now
open to the public.
(d)
The ancestors of Kowata family come from Kowata, Uji, Kyoto. They were
defending as
warriors Ishiyama Hongan-ji Cathedral town in Osaka.
When Oda Nobunaga ruined the religious town of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, the
family of
Kowata fled to Izumo and settled down there. They engaged themselves in agriculture and
commerce.
Kowata family played an important role in administrating in a small county
at the order of
Lord of Matsue. The family owned and ran a Hon-jin which was a hotel for
daimyo and
high ranking samurai. Lord of Matsue-han used to stay in that Hon-jin when
he was on an
inspection tour in his territory Izumo.
Now, only the main building " Omoya " of Yakumo Honjin remains.
This historical building
is operated as restaurant-inn now. You can take your dinner here like a
feudal lord in
ancient times.
(e)
The house of Naka family in Nara prefecture retains its " Kangoo Jyuutaku
" style of the houses
of the medieval ages. It had inner and outer moats. The outer moat has
didappeared but the
inner moat remains.
Naka familiy was called Adachi when they lived in the present Suzuka city, in Mie prefecture.
Accompanying Ashikaga Takauji, they entered the province of Yamato (
Now, Nara
prefecture ). and had their residence at Kubota and used the family name
of Kubota. In 1,391,
their domain was changed for new one in the province of Yamato and they
changed their family
family name to Naka. When his master Lord Tsutsui went to the province
of Iga to rule it, they
did not went with his master and remained in Yamato. They abandoned their
status of samurai
and became a farmer and important land-owner. The main building of their
house was built in
1659.
i@f@j@
The house of Tomisawa family was at Nakanojyo-machi, Gunma prefecture,
when the above
postal stamp was printed in 1997. Mr.Tomisawa donated this house to Tama
city in the
Metropolitan capital of Tokyo, where their ancestors had a large area of
land.
Now, it is in the Tama Central Park. The roofing of " Kaya "
was changed to copper plate
roofing, because it is very difficult for the city government to thatch
the house with reed.
This house was representative of a house of silk worm keeping farmers in
the mountaineous
regions of Central Honshu.
The history of Tomisawa family dates back to the Hatakeyamas of the Heike clan of Chichibu
region. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, they served Imagawa Yoshimoto. When Imagaga
was defeated by Oda Nobunaga, they became farmers, The family of Tomisawa became an
important land-owner in the Tama region. The fifteenth Mr.Tomisawa was a good friend of
Kondo Isami, the head of Shinsengumi, the Special Police Force which supported
the dying
Tokugawa Shogunate. The Tama region was home to many important members
of
Shinsengumi. They were not samurai but farmers who learned swordsmanship.
Tama region
was a " Tenryo - heavenly territory " under the Tokugawa Shogunate.
This may be the reason
why the Shinsengumi devotede their lives to support the dying Shogunate
governmet.
In the Tama region, many people learned swardmaship.
( g ) The house which belonged to the Shibutani family was among the mountains
where
snow fall in November will linger on until May. In 1965, it was moved tho
the grounds of Shido
Hakubutsukan Museum in Tsuruoka city, Yamagata prefecture.
(h) The house of Kamio family was the oldest house with the building year verified
in Kyushu. It was built in 1771, in yamakuni-cho, Oita prefecture.
|
