KYO NO MACHIYAJAPANESE HOUSE EXHIBITIONGLOSSARY OF TERMS

Kyo no machiya — urban houses of Kyoto
京の 町家 kyoh-no-mah-chee-yah
Kyoto’s urban houses. A machiya is an urban house where artisan
or merchant families both live and work, found in many urban areas
throughout Japan; Kyo is short for Kyoto. This style of house dates
back 500 years.

© 2014 by Boston Children’s Museum

KYOTO STREETIn the Nishijin area of Kyoto where this housecame from, the street is always an importantpart of daily life. Without a front yard,neighbors gather, kids play, and communities
hold festivities on the street.

Battari-shogi — Wooden foldable bench/shelf
ばったり床几 baa-tah-ree show-gi
Bench or shelf that can be folded down to display merchandise being soldwhen the family business is open, and folded up when the store is closed.

Hyosatsu — Family name plate
表札 hyoh-sah-tsu
Plaque on which the family’s name would be written.

Inuyarai — Fence
犬矢来

ee-nu-yah-rah-ee

Fence made of bamboo, commonly used for Kyo no machiya.
It protects exterior walls from any damage caused by animals
and/or people on the street.

Kawara — Roof tiles
瓦 kah-wah-rah
The typical roof tiles of Kyo no machiya, slanted to allow rain to fall away fromthe house. When seen together, they create a beautiful traditional skyline.

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Komayose — Fence
駒寄せ koh-mah-yo-say
Fence to prevent any people or animals (commonly horses in the past)from entering private property.

Miss Kyoto
ミス京都

Miss kyoh-toe

One of 58 dolls given to the United States by Japanesechildren in return for the over 12,000 American dolls
sent to Japan in early 1927. For her journey to America,
she brought trunks packed with toys, a tea set, lanterns,
several pairs of shoes and, of course, her passport.

Shoki — Guardian statue on the roof
鍾馗show-key

The “Demon Queller” and legendary hero of a story from China.
Traditionally, Shoki statues are placed on the roof of a
Kyo no machiya to protect the family from illness andevil spirits, and to bring good luck to Kyoto.

Yubinbako — Mailbox
郵便箱 you-bee-n-baa-koh
Mailbox, typically colored red in Japan. The symbolon the front 〒 is the Japanese postal mark.

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MACHIYA ENTRY SPACE
The genkan serves as the entry space intoa Kyo no machiya and the transition fromoutside to inside.

Genkan — Entry hallway
玄関gay-n-kah-nArea in which one takes off one’s shoes before
entering the rooms of the home, and puts one’s
shoes on before going outside.

Getabako — Shoe shelf/closet
下駄箱 gay-tah-baa-koh
Shelves in the genkan where shoes and house slippers are kept.

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FRONT ROOM
The first room in a Kyo no machiya is usuallyused for family business and as a workspace
during the day.

Fusuma — Thick paper-covered sliding panel襖 foo-sue-mah
Sliding doors that separate interior rooms. They have a wooden frame
covered with several layers of paper. Fusuma can be removed completely
to make rooms larger or can be closed to make smaller, private rooms.

Manekineko — Lucky Cat
招き猫

mah-nay-key nay-koh

The “Lucky Cat” figurine. This manekineko is made of porcelain andwelcomes people to the store with a paw raised up by its ear
and curled down, the “come here” beckoning gesture used in Japan.

Oriya Tansu
Cabinets and drawers for silk rolls
織屋箪笥

oh-ree-yah tah-n-sue

Typical cabinets for storage for a silk store in a Kyo no machiya.

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Kigumi — Joinery
木組み key-goo-me
Woodworking technique used in the construction of traditional
Japanese architecture, including The Japanese House. This process
involves fitting together pieces of wood without the use of
mechanical fasteners or adhesives.

Shoji — Thin paper-covered sliding panel
障子 show-gee
Sliding doors that allow light into the rooms.
They have a wooden frame covered with thin, translucent paper.
Shoji serve as windows or curtains.

Tatami — Straw floor mats
畳 tah-tah-me
Mats made of a tightly-packed core of rice straw covered with afine layer of Igusa woven rush, and bordered on two sides withcloth. Tatami are typically about 2-1/2 to 3 inches thick, and 3
feet wide by 6 feet long. They are the main unit of measurementin traditional Japanese architecture, where the size of the room isdetermined by the number of mats that would fit.

Zuihosho — Sacred Treasure Award
瑞宝章 zoo-ee-hoe-show
An award certificate. This award, hung on the wall, reads: “TheEmperor of Japan confers upon Seizaburo Sumiyama the Fifth
Rank of the Zuihosho [Sacred Treasure] Award on this Day,
November 3, 1976, confirmed by Imperial Seal at the ImperialPalace.” The owner of this house was recognized and awarded forhis contributions to the silk and textile industry.

page 6© 2014 by Boston Children’s MuseumMIDDLE ROOM
The multi-functional and casual room of thehouse; this room also has a stairway hiddenin the oshiire closet.

Daruma達磨 dah-roo-mah
Represents Daruma, the priest who created Zen Buddhism and who isa symbol of strong will and determination. Upon buying a Daruma doll,
one sets a goal and colors in one of its eyes. When the goal is reached,
the other eye is colored in.

Futon — Bed布団

foo-toe-n

Traditional Japanese bed, consisting of a padded mattress and athick, quilted cover. Futon are designed to be laid out on tatami
mats at night and then folded and stored away during the day,allowing for rooms to serve multiple purposes.

Kamidana — Family Shinto shrine
神棚 kah-me-dah-nah
Home of Shinto spirits, where a family prays for good health, business,and happiness. Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan.

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Kotatsu — Low heated table
こたつ koh-tah-tsu
A square table with an electric heater attached to the underside.
In the wintertime, people keep warm by sitting at the kotatsu,
which has a quilt-like cover that is inserted between the tabletop
and frame, to lock in the warmth of the electric heater.

Oshiire — Closet
押入れoh-she-ee-ray

Closet used for storing bedding (futon) and seatingcushions (zabuton).

Tansu — Dresser箪笥tah-n-sue

Chest of drawers to store clothing and other personal items.

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FORMAL ROOM

ButsudanFormal room or guest room of thehouse with a direct garden view.

Family Buddhist altar
仏壇 boo-tsu-dah-n
Place where family pays respect
to Buddha and family ancestors.
It is not unusual to have both abutsudan and kamidana (see above)in one household.

Tokonoma — Decorative alcove
床の間

toe-koh-no-mah

Alcove used for formal display of flower arrangements,a hanging seasonal scroll, or other seasonal objects.

Zabuton — Cushions
座布団 zah-boo-toe-n
Traditional Japanese floor cushions,serving a similar purpose to chairs.

ZashikiFormal room
座敷 zah-she-key

Zataku — Low table
座卓 zah-tah-coo
Traditional Japanese low table. The
family would typically eat at this table.

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Most formal room of the house,
often with a tokonoma (see below)
and a garden view. A family usesthe zashiki for dining, entertaining,gathering, and as a guest bedroom,among other things.

© 2014 by Boston Children’s Museum

GARDEN
The appreciation of seasonal changes is very important inJapan, leading to the high value of a garden. Looking at agarden provides a sense of tranquility and a connection tonature. The garden also brings air and light into the house.

Engawa — Porch and passageway
縁側

ay-n-gah-wah

Narrow wooden floor space for sitting and enjoying thegarden. The engawa also serves as the walkway to theroom with sink (senmenjo), the bath (furo), the toilet (toire),and the kitchen (daidokoro).

Niwa — Garden
庭 ni-wahTraditional-style garden with stepping stones and a stonelantern. The plants in the garden are usually native plants,
such as bamboo and pine. These gardens are designed withgreat care and attention to look and feel completely natural.

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KITCHEN
Though most machiya kitchens, like ours,
have been remodeled since the house wasbuilt, these high ceilings with crossing beams
are typical of machiya style houses

Daidokoro — Kitchen
台所dah-ee-doe-koh-roe

Also called Okudo-san. The kitchen at the BCM was modernizedin the early 1970s, with new appliances installed, such as ayuwashiki (see below) located above the kitchen sink.

Hotei-sanGod of wealth
布袋さん

hoe-tay-ee-sah-n

One of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune (not to beconfused with Buddha). Hotei-san statues are believed tobring good fortune to the family business. The family thatoriginally owned this house had a collection of Hotei
statues, which was donated along with the house.

page 11© 2014 by Boston Children’s MuseumMizuyadansu — China cabinet
水屋箪笥 me-zoo-yah-dah-n-sue
Cabinet where bowls, plates, and other dishes are stored.

Noren — Curtain
のれん

no-ray-nPartial curtains that divide rooms, hung from the top ofdoorways. Noren are often split into two or three sections,and serve as visual room dividers. This one conceals the view
directly into the kitchen from the street.

Yuwakashiki — Hot water maker
湯沸かし器

you-wah-kah-she-key

Common style water heater in 1970s kitchens in Japan. Theseheaters are gas-powered and make hot water instantly, a method
more conservative with energy than large boilers. Most Japanesehouseholds today use energy-efficient boilers instead of counter
heaters like this.

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BATHROOMIn Japan the functions of the bathroom areseparated into three rooms: the senmenjo,
the bath (furo), and the toilet (toire).

Furo — Bath風呂

foo-roeContains the showering mechanism and bathtub. Wooden drain boards
are set above the tile floor where one washes and rinses with waterfrom a small bucket before getting in the tub of hot water to soak. Thewhole family will share the same water. After getting out, one puts acover over the tub to keep it warm for the next person.

Senmenjo — Room with sink
洗面所 say-n-may-n-joo
The room in which one would wash the face, brush the teeth,and change clothes before and after bathing.

Toire — Toilet
トイレ

toe-ee-ray

A squatting toilet. Instead of sitting, one squats over thetoilet. When one flushes, water runs out of the spigot at
the top, where hands are rinsed. This water is then stored
in the tank, and becomes the water that runs through forthe next flush. There is a big or a little flush. Today, manyhouses have sitting-style toilets and are often quite hightech. One always wears special bathroom slippers whenusing the toire, even today.

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SECOND FLOOR
The 2nd floor rooms can be reached by
the stairway in the closet.

Chashitsu — Tea room
茶室 cha-she-tsu
Equipped for a formal tea ceremony.

Chigaidana — Ornamental shelves
違い棚 chee-gah-ee-dah-nah
Shelves located in the smallest alcove adjoining the tokonoma.
These shelves display pottery, dolls, or other decorations. The
presence of a chigaidana increases the formality or specialnessof the tokonoma, and by extension, the room.

Kazari-mado — Decorative window
飾り窓

kah-zah-ree mah-doe

Window with a bamboo lattice-work design behind it. When the sunshines, the window makes a beautiful pattern on the shoji paper.

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Mushiko-mado — Insect-cage window
虫籠窓 moo-she-koh mah-doe
Common style attic and storage windows for Kyo no machiya. They
have narrow slats that preserve privacy, but still let the air in.

Yaneura — Attic
屋根裏 yah-nay-ooh-rah
Space under the eaves of the roof generally
used for storing unused and seasonal items
such as New Year’s decorations.

Yukimi-mado — Snow viewing window
雪見窓

you-key-me mah-doe

Special shoji with snow-watching panels. These panels areat eye level when sitting. One can open them as much as
desired to get a framed view of the outside without lettingout too much warm air.

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