New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-05
JAPANESE HOUSES
From The Ultra Morning Herald.


From the very interesting ietes of former fell
low citizep, S. Wells Williams, we have to-day the
pleasure of publishing description of the dwelling
houses Of Simoda:
"Tbe houses in Simoda are bailt merely of pine
boards, or Of plaster thickly spread over waited
wall OF labs, The iuterstces of which are filled in
with mud. In some cases these modes OF conetruc-
tion combineGtne front and rear beng OF boards
or sliding psnnels: and the sides of mud Wn5n
tboroue hly dfieo the mud is w5itexssbed, and the
plain suIfsce wOrked into rouni ridges, three inches
high, crossing each other disgOnay from tee root TO
the ground the ridges are then washed blue and give
the exterior checker board look which, though siu-
eular is more lively than blue mud wall. The pias-
ter 10 excellent and these walls appear very sod AMI
rather pretty when nev-at a Distance one wonld
even think them 10 be stone but siIer lev years ,oe
ridges loosen the rain nsiDuates ITSELF beae ,tn lne
outs, coating and the whole begins to scale ana
crsck off dscosipg the mud and rus aes ana then the
falls TO pieces stu the progress OF
decay is not so rapid as one would thl9s' II tnsy
indeed only by the nature Of the materials and the
wells sre well protected by the projecting caves No
bricks are used ia building are square tiles for
floors seep; ard the manner of making walls common
in southern China by beating sanded clay INFO wooden
molds is unknown.
"Some of the best houses and temples have stone
foundations, few only of which are made OF dressed
stone. Half a dozen or more store houses occur,
faced entirely with slGos OF stone, and standing de-
tacbed from other buildings, and doubtless fire
proof buildipgs. There are 10 ceilsrs under the
bouees; the floors are raiied on sleepers only two
feet above the beaten ground, and unifOrmy covered
With straw mats stated with chaif Or grass an men
thick. The frsmes OF pine, the joi-s four or I'VE
il ches square, and held together by the flooring OF
the attic as we'd ss the plates snd ridge pole. The
bou,ts and shops join each other on the sides, with
few exceptions, leaving the font and resr open.
Tbsra il uniformity in the width of the lots, the
fronts OF some shops extending twenty thirty, or
fee along the sueets, while intermediate ones
are mere STALE, not over ten feet wide.
"The shops sncceed each other without any reyl-
lar order as TO their cont ns those OF the sort
no, being arranged together, az IS Office the case 10
China. The finer wares are usually kept in drawers,
go that unless is well scqusred With the place,
be cannot easily find the goods he seeks The caves OF
the houses prec about -four feet from toe 'front.' aai
not igh feet from the ground; the porch thus
msce iurDishet scoyered place for arranging )ckery
fruits Sc for sale tray OF tinke's movable sail
baskets of eIoin other articles % sirsct
buyers The entrance is on one ride and the path H ids
directly through to the The wooden shutters OF
shops all removed in the dsy time aud tle paper
wirfcss closed, or thrust 6s'de according TO the
weather; on a pleasant day tie doors are opeD aud
in heu Of The windows, screen Is hung @idwsy, so
az TO conceal the shopmaD and hs casio from o.
servstion While those gooos placed the s,an1
still utder his eve. csse. with lifticed wire
coors 10 contain the fine articles OF earth snwars,
framework With books, and shelves 70 suspecd IrOn
utensils orwOOden wsre, or movable case Il drawers
20 hole silks fine lscqaersd w4re ior similar goois
Constitute peary sltbe furniture oi the shops. ApDth
ecRrie.' shops hung with Eilded signs and paper
llscsrcs setting forth the variety sni virtues Of their
ec ieir e. some OF which are described as brought
from Europe The partition which )sritss the shops
from the dwelling s sometimss closed, bat more usual
ly oper and customer has, generally speaking q.
much 10 do With thu stress as tie MISTER Of tue
Establishment When ne enters. his straw sandrs
slwsys left the ground be steps 90 the mats
ard squsis doxn look the goods. which are thei
spreao out the floor. fore per has nesd OF SENS
thong hifur.s 10 the particular as it Is sn sumo socs
10 Jsparese to have his soiled by dirty feet
broken through by coarse shoes.
:" TIE Ttsr Of tSe suilding ia appropriated Il the
fsm'ly here the domestic operations sre 81 carried
here the family take their meals ia the day here
on the same mss, 90 they sleep 81 night; recsiviny
vsitors and dressing the children is Also dJns here
and some tmes the cooking too. Us1allJ this la ar
hous, hoc task il performed i the porch in rear il
sD onthoUse, hat the nma'es not nnca an
1syee ai;b smoke SIS hey are IN Hakoisdi No A.
sps sw, nis for warming The dwelling are . be fiuud
ice y; that Of band orszieIs placed IN the middle OF
be room with Lighted charcoal, Srousd -hi,h the
sIoi,y gather. In mosi OF The houses tsse II q
Ssrret, reached by .alGelG dark ard smsl spir:-