A one-room dwelling (hito-ma sumai (ひと間住まい) is defined as a minka with both an earth-floored utility area (doma 土間) and a single raised-floor room. In many cases, the boundary between the two areas is completely open (without sliding screens or other partitions); in these minka, there is a difference in floor level between doma and raised-floor (taka-yuka 高床) room, but otherwise the dwelling is in essence a single-space dwelling (tan-shitsu sumai 単室住まい) of the type discussed in the previous four posts, indicating that in these ‘edge cases’ there can be a degree of ambiguity as to what constitutes a single-space dwelling and what constitutes and one-room dwelling.
As small-scale dwellings or dwellings for the poor, one-room minka were found in large numbers all over Japan. The example shown below, though small, satisfies all the requirements of daily life for one or two inhabitants; it is, in other words, a ‘granny flat’ intended for use by the grandparent or parents of an extended farming family. Agricultural implements and the like are kept in the doma (here called a niwa にわ); this was also where agricultural work was done, and preserves and other food were stored. The area of the raised-floor room (へや) adjacent to the sill or threshold (kamachi 框) between the two areas was used for dining (shoku-ji 食事) and hand-work (te-shigoto 手仕事). The narrow nure-en (濡れ縁) or ‘verandah’ was the house’s interface with the outside world, used for interacting with the neighbourhood and as the entry for formal or official guests, who would be welcomed in front of the Buddhist altar (butsudan 仏壇). The place of rest is the rear corner in front of the alcove (toko 床). From this pattern of habitation, one can imagine the interior being partitioned into a three-room hiroma-gata plan-form.
Plan of a one-room dwelling (ひと間住まい) in Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県). Labelled are the eight-mat (hachi-jо̄８帖) ‘room’ (heya へや), the earth-floored utility area (niwa にわ), entry door (to と), and the Buddhist altar (卍).
Exterior image of the minka shown in the plan above (the building in the foreground). The lattice window in the gable wall opens on to the niwa (にわ). Though in Shiga hipped-and-gabled (iri-moya zukuri 入母屋造り) minka are predominant, smaller structures such as these ‘granny flats’ are typically gable-roofed.
The plan shown below is an example of a raised-floor dwelling in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, with only a small earth-floored fumi-komi (踏込み) or ‘step-in’ entry. At first glance it appears to be a two-room heiretsu (併列) or parallel ‘column’ type plan-form, where the two rooms are divided by transverse (perpendicular to the roof ridge) partitions. However, although the uchi (うち) area on the left is plank-floored, the activities it hosts are identical to those of any generic doma (土間) in any other minka plan-form, so this example can be thought of as falling into the range of minka considered to be of the ‘one-room’ type.
In classifying the plan-form of a minka, only the number and arrangement of raised-floor rooms are initially taken into account. This can sometimes lead to contradiction and confusion, as in the plan below, where the the small fumi-komi for entry and footwear removal, which in a modern dwelling would be called a genkan (玄関), can be misidentified as a vestigial doma; this then leads to the misinterpretation of the uchi as a room, when the raised-floor uchi is in fact the true doma in the functional sense. There are many other examples of this type of minka without any earth-floored areas at all, not even a fumi-komi, and entry is instead via the nure-en; these too should be considered one-room dwellings.
A one-room dwelling in Tokushima Prefecture (徳島県). Labelled are the plank-floored (ita-ma 板間) utility area (uchi うち) with ‘water work’ (mizu-shigoto 水仕事) area, food storage (shokuryou chozou 食糧貯蔵) area, oven/stove (kudo くど), food preparation (tabemono chousei 食物調整) area, work area (sagyou-ba 作業場), utility entry (katte-guchi かって口), and earth-floored ‘step-in’ (fumi-komi 踏込み) for family entrance (kajin no deiri-guchi 家人の出入口); the ‘living room’ (omote おもて) contains an ‘event’ (gyou-ji 行事) area, ‘relaxation’ (yururi ゆるり) area, dining (shoku-ji 食事) family (danran 団らん) and guest (sekkyaku 接客) area, sleeping (shuushin 就寝) area, Separating the uchi and omote is a board screen (ita-kakoi 板囲い); there are no (nashi なし) operable paritions (tategu 建具).
To block noise and dust from work activities undertaken in the uchi, there is a board (ita 板) screen (kakoi 囲い) between it and the omote (おもて), but otherwise there are no partitions. The jо̄-ya bashira (上屋柱) posts stand within the room; the perimeter ge-ya (下屋) area between these posts and the external walls might house a Buddhist altar (butsudan 仏壇), closet (oshi-ire 押入) or alcove (tokonoma 床の間), but differentiation or allocation of this space towards storage, sleeping, or other functions is generally only loose or implied. This plan-form is common in the mountainous regions of Shikoku.
Exterior of a minka in the Iya (祖谷) region of Shikoku. Minka plan-forms in this area are ‘column’ type, with toilet and bath typically protruding out from the centre of the south facade. In the background can be seen the inkyo-ke or ‘granny flat’ which also has a column plan-form. Perhaps because of the tight, mountainous sites, the custom in this area when extra room is required is to establish a new, separate building, rather than add to the main house.
Two minka plans from the Gojima region (五島地方) of Kyūshū.
The upper plan shows a one-room dwelling from which the bedroom has been separated off. Labelled are the stable (umaya うまや) for keeping livestock (kachiku shi-iku 家畜飼育); the doma (どま) with areas for food storage (shokuryо̄ chozо̄ 食糧貯蔵), food preparation (tabemono chо̄sei 食べ物調整), feed preparation (shiryо̄ chо̄sei 飼料調整), agricultural work (nо̄-sagyо̄ 濃作業), entrance (iriguchi 入口); the raised board-floor (itama 板間) agariguchi (あがりぐち) with shelving (todana 戸棚), dining and ‘family’ area shokuji danran 食事団らん), family sleeping area (kazoku shūshin 家族就寝), Buddhist altar (butsudan 仏壇) indicated by swastika (manji 卍), areas for receiving (о̄tai 応対) and entertaining guests (sekkyaku 接客), and alcove (toko とこ); and bedroom (nando なんど) for sleeping (shin 寝).
Partitioning of the interior of the upper plan, according to the organisation of activities within it, would result in a staggered (kui-chigai 食違い) four-room (yon-madori ４間取り) plan-form similar to that shown in the plan below. Labelled are the stable (umaya うまや), doma (どま) with bath (furo フロ), sink (hashiri ハシリ), ‘living room’ (adanoma あだのま) with fire (ro ろ), front bedroom (naisho なしょ) with shelving (todana 戸棚), Buddhist altar (butsudan) indicated by swastika (manji 卍), rear bedroom (nando なんど), and formal room (zashiki ざしき).