Scenes of a family andNara Machiya

Traditional townhouse, old-fashioned ?
No, it's full of ideas for a happy life.
Find some clues for a rich life from the family's
daily life living in a Nara Machiya.

Doorway
Sweeping and splashing waterat the doorway is to start a
refreshing day.
Settle the dust, or cool-down
the front street.

g down!
w, lookin
Good vie

Mom!

h
Ye a!

oi c e sm e r r y v e m or n i n g !
in t hTori-niwa
or Passageway

NPlace where neighborhoodand family make connectionPassageway connected with the front street atthe ground level is where the neighborhood andfamily keep relationship.
Neighbors or friends stop by for chatting, kids
spend some time playing around.
01

Passageway is double height up to the roof
structure. High side windows or smoke-dormer
make smoke get away from the kitchen.

front street

Friends in the neighborhood come to pick you up in the morning.
"Good morning!" "Bye, Dad!"
Mom goes to work with her children.

passageway

smoke-dormer

co m m en t

Thanks to thekids go to sc passageway,hool without
being late or
lethings behind aveing
friends com , because
e to pickthem up.

Keywords of Nara Machiya
Passageway

earthen floor
Fa m ily 's

Double height is fun andfunctional.

double height

earthen floor

passageway

A space that connects the street and backyard
inside the main house. Used as entrance at thefront and kitchen in the back. Suitable to outdoor& gardening work for its earthen floor. Also works
as an alley when there is a house repair in therear building, bringing large stuff through thehouse without taking shoes off. An unique space
being both indoor and outdoor.
02

shojialcovefusumadrawingroom

engawa(veranda)

courtyard

tatamifusuma(paper-partition)

alcoveNfront street

Drawing room Veranda Voices of children romping around in the courtyard.
Courtyard

Interior is divided vaguely with shoji or fusuma.
Able to feel the family being together,
the family
A voice ofeven if each member is spending theirandoth workbHandles!
idown time in different space.
ra is in g k licy of living
poThat's my hiya.
Live a life feeling the nature,acin Nara M
as well as the family around you, in Nara Machiya.
03shoji(paper-screen)

Dad checking mails at engawa enjoying some fresh air.
Snapping sound of Mom cutting flowers for the alcove decoration.
Maybe somebody's coming over today.

Good distance among the family members
Comfortable relationship with natureengawadrawing (veranda) courtyard
room

Dad
Difficulttobut that' concentrate ons OK, towork,o.

tatami

Keywords of Nara MachiyatatamiFloor material that symbolizes Japanese room. The top is made of soft rush.

shoji

Sliding screen made with Japanese paper on wooden lattice. Various designs are possible
by different ways of fixing frame. Softens the direct sun lights through Japanese paper.

fusumaPartition made with two layers of paper or cloth on wooden frame. Variety of patterns
and designs for the top sheets and door handles.

drawing room

Japanese room for guests. By removing fusuma & shoji, widens as a connected room for alarge number of guests.

tokono-ma

Space to decorate scroll, ornament and flowers in a drawing room. Change decorationsaccording to seasons or annual events.

engawaWooden deck space between drawing room and courtyard. Becomes half-indoor spaceconnected with interior rooms by opening up the shoji.

courtyard

Garden located between the main house and detached room. Very important space tobring light & wind into the long and narrow interior space, also to sense the seasonschanging.

(alcove)(veranda)04

Flexible use of passageway
Passageway with earthen floor is an indoor space but
useful for outdoor activities. Fun place for chatting withneighbors, or becomes Dad's working space or playroom
for kids.

Flexible waysof use
Japanese houses are able to meetdifferent ways of life styles.

Maximizing the space for a big party night!
Playroom on a rainy day.

Flexible use of drawing room
Rooms divided by fusuma or shoji areadjustable in changing the sizes, opening
or closing the partitions, according tothe scenes.

Gathering in a sunny spot, helping Mom.

Dad's hobby space.

Breakfast with the whole family.

Place to take off your shoes.

Kutsu-nugi-ishi
Chatting with a neighbor.

A stone called Kutsu-nugi-ishi is placed at the engawa (veranda) orentrance deck to help the different level floors, since the floor israised to avoid moisture in Nara Machiya. Taking off your shoes on
this stone, helps you come into the room without dirty feet.

Materials of Nara Machiya
Changing into a room for inviting a guest.

05

Bed making is a fun time.

Architectural materials of Machiya has rustic charm with years. Stone, wood, mud, paper,tatami, roof-tile, you can feel the warmth from them. Replaceable when they aredamaged and that is the advantage of them.

06

Today, many people still enjoy living
in Nara Machiya.

voices fromNara Machiya

Here are some real voices talking about
how comfortable living in Nara Machiya is.

Kitchen in tori-niwa is convenient tobring vegetables with dirt! We cook
together, my folks helping me, and it's a
lot of fun.

relaxi.
ngDailyscenes

Machiyais

We have vegetable gardens
in the back. It's great toharvest the vegetable you
took care of.

Cozy room is perfect toshut myself in. I use tsushi(the attic floor) as a study.

You'll find chasitu in many Machiya
in Naramachi. We enjoy having tea
casually.

Night watch with the neighbors.
We feel connections with the region,
helping the local festival together.

Stretching out on tatami floor
after meals or on days off.
So relaxing!

Kura, or a storage
house is all the way inthe back, and we store
many kinds of things,
like old tools.

Refreshing, because thewinds go through.

It's beautiful, contrast oflight and shade. You cansee different appearance
depending on the weather.

07

Burning charcoal is warm to look atas well. One of a seasonal items.

08Seasonal letters Nara Machiya
fromAutumn

SpringEnjoy the moonlit
night, or make dried
perssimon. Colorful
autumn leaves in thecourtyard.

Beatiful flowers in the springbreeze, with mild spring
sunlight.

Warmth of brasier.
New year's decoration makes you feel purified.

Rich harvest inseason! Don't forgetUme,or Japanese
Plum preserves.

WinterBasic Information of Nara Machiya

Site

Backyard

Backyard

Omoya (Main house)(Shop-room)

Kura

09

Built along the front street by the maxiamwidth of the site. The central building of site.

Backyard

Passageway

Mise-no-ma Naka-no-ma Oku-no-ma

Tsushi (Attic f loor)
Second floor with low ceiling,
common in Naramachi.

Hanging
window

Corridor
Hallway that connects the main houseand detached room, along the courtyard.
Courtyard

Front street

Wing wall
Smoke-dormer

Insect-cage-likewindow
Tsushi

Front street

Omoya ( Main house)

Facade ofNara Machiya

Roofing tile

(Attic f loor)

Function as a lightwell andventilation path. A space forarticulation together withoku-no-ma, or inner room.

(Storehouse)(Middle room) (Drawing room)

Detached room
Courtyard

Kura

Backyard

Mise-no-ma Naka-no-ma Oku-no-ma(Storehouse)

Corridor

Courtyard

Detachedroom

Front street

The feature of Nara Machiya is narrow frontage and long site.
There are many ideas in design; a courtyard to bring light andwind inside, and passageway to connect the front and back sideof the house, and more. Many Machiya were running businessdisplaying merchandise in Mise-no-ma, or Shop-room.

LayoutN

SummerLattice
Again, what is Machiya?

Main door

Folding displaydeck

It is an excellent residential style of merchant's
townhouse to live practically in a limited site.

10Reference (all in Japanese)
Editorial Council of History of Nara City (Ed). (1974).
History of Nara City (Architecture). Nara City Issue.
Ueno, H.. (1993). Guidebook for strolling Nara-machi. Nara City
Educational Council.
Current Nara-machi Townscape Exhibition Booklet. (1994). Nara Machiya
Research Association.
Japanese Traditional Houses. (2013). Concerned Government Ministries
Meeting related to Promotion of Japanese Traditional Houses.
Nara-machi Machiya Design Book - for house construction or reform. (2015).
Nara Machidukuri Center Inc..
Special thanks to; Cycleshop Sugiyama
Issue
The Traditional Culture IKIIKI Committee
Naramachi Traditional House Community Group of Management(Nara Machidukuri Center Inc., NPO Sanga Kuruma-za, Nara Machiya
Research Association)
2-1 Nakanoshinya-cho, Nara City, 630-8333
0742-20-1917 / 0742-26-3477
http://naramachi-nigiwainoie.jp/
Issued on December 2018

This project has suppported by the Agency
for Cultural Affairs Government of Japan in the fiscal 2018