In this post we continue with our examination of the evolution of wrapped-hiroma type (tori-maki hiroma-gata 取巻き広間型) layouts.

The plan below is an example of a two-room layout (ni-madori 二間取り) from a mountain village in Kishū (紀州), Wakayama Prefecture. There are no moveable partitions (tategu 建具) and other than the minimal exceptions of the board wall (ita-kabe 板壁) and built-in shelving (todana 戸棚) on the ‘living room’ (hiroma 広間) side of the bedroom (nema 寝間), the whole interior is left open. Interestingly, there are elements of the plan that bring to mind the layout and partitioning of the Izumo Grand Shrine (Izumo Taisha 出雲大社) in Shimane Prefecture.

The Kobayakawa family (*Kobayakawa-ke* 小早川家) house in Kishū (紀州), Wakayama Prefecture. 　A one-room dwelling (*hito-ma sumai* ひと間住まい) with a bedroom (*nando* なんど) eked out from one corner of the single room. Labelled are the utility area (*niwa* にわ) for agricultural work (*nо̄-sagyо̄* 濃作業) and cooking (*tabemono chо̄ri* 食物調理); the board-floored (*ita-yuka* 板床) *omote* (おもて), whose front section fulfills the formal functions of the *zashiki*, for ceremonies (*gyо̄ji* 行事), receiving guests (*sekkyaku* 接客), sleeping (*shūshin* 就寝), and whose rear section corresponds to a *daidoko* or *katte* ‘dining room', for dining (*shokuji* 食事), with firepit (*irori*, here ro 炉) and low bench (*dai* 台); and the bedroom (*nando* なんど) for sleeping and storage (*shūnо̄* 収納). The ‘verandah' (en) is used for entertaining guests (*о̄tai* 応対) and handwork (*te-shigoto* 手仕事).

Plan diagram of Izumo Grand Shrine (出雲大社)

Interior view of the Kobayakawa house, looking from the *omote* towards the dining area with firepit (*irori*), and the storage area (*shūnо̄*) and bedroom (*nando*) beyond. The only interior partition is the single board-clad (*hame-ita* 羽目板) partition between the *omote* and the *nando*, seen here on the left; to its left is the small closet/shelves alcove.

The next plan below, of the Okabe family (Okabe-ke 岡部家) house in the Okutama district (Okutama chihо̄ 奥多摩地方) of Tokyo Prefecture, is a layout often seen in the Kantо̄ region (broadly eastern Japan). If we imagine the plan without the zashiki extension (comprised of the oku おくand tobanoma とばのま), then only the husband and wife’s bedroom (the heya へや) is properly ‘walled off’. All the other room divisions are fitted with tategu, but they are normally left open; there is nothing at all in the way of fixed walls.

The Okabe house in Tokyo Prefecture. Even in such a large dwelling, if the *kagi-zashiki* (here the *oku* おく) and *tobanoma* とばのま) part is regarded as a later addition and the layout is considered without them, a form corresponding to (1) in the plan diagrams below is revealed, with only the bedroom (*heya* へや) separated off from a multi-purpose room comprised of the *uchiza* (うちざ) and *zashiki* (ざしき). Note also the massive central post. The partitions dividing off the other rooms are of various types, and still not clearly established. Labelled are: the earth-floored utility area (*daidokoro* だいどころ) with utility entrance (*katte-guchi* かって口), for farm work (*nо̄-sagyо̄* 濃作業); the *ito-hikiba* (糸ひきば, lit. ‘thread pulling place') for secondary work (*fukugyо̄* 副業), presumably including spinning; the board-floored kitchen area for cooking (suiji 炊事) with food storage (*shokuryо̄ chozо̄* 食糧貯蔵), sink (*nagashi* ナガシ) and water (*mizu* 水); the dining-family room (*katte* かって) with fire pit (*irori*, marked ro 炉), for dining (*shokuji* 食事), family time (*danran* 団らん), entertaining guests (*о̄tai* 応対), and handwork (*te-shigoto* 手仕事); the zashiki (ざしき) for courting (kousai 交際)

Interior view of the О̄kubo family (*О̄kubo-ke* 大久保家) house in the Tama region (*Tama chihо̄* 多摩地方) of Tokyo Prefecture. In everyday life the partitions are not used, and all the boundaries between rooms are left open; only the bedroom is enclosed. The layout of this house is very similar to that of the Okabe house, and the view here corresponds to that looking from the *katte* towards the *zashiki* in the Okabe house. Note again the massive central post.

Both of the above layouts are at an intermediate stage of development, on the way to transitioning into the full wrapped-hiroma type layout. They correspond to plan (1) of the plan diagrams presented in last week’s post and included again below, where a corner of the hiroma has been separated off as a bedroom.