Daiku San Builds a Dream House
By Awake! correspondent in Japan
MANY visitors to Japan are fascinated by the graceful traditional houses they see here. The sloping roof, the upturned eaves, the enclosed garden, and the verandas all add their charm. Yet, the interesting thing is that a house of this type is usually designed, built, and decorated under the direction of just one person. He is called Daiku san, or the master carpenter.
Mr. Kato is a Daiku san with 40 years of experience. He and his crew of artisans are constructing what most Japanese would consider to be their dream house. Let us listen as he tells us something about the unique style of the house and how he is building it.
Classic Design
“The essence of a classic Japanese house,” Daiku san tells us, “can be summed up in just two words: wabi and sabi.” Among other things, both words have the meaning “refined and tasteful simplicity.” “Subtle,” “quiet,” and “delicate” are other words that help us understand Japanese architecture and its appeal.
Because of the frequent typhoons and earthquakes in Japan and the high humidity in the summer, Daiku san explains, wood is the preferred material for a family house because of its resilience. Clay, bamboo, and paper are also among the basic materials used. To achieve visual harmony, house and garden are designed together.
What will the dream house and garden look like? How will it be built? Daiku san suggests that we take a ride to another building site where he will give us a firsthand look at how Daiku san builds a dream house.
From the Ground Up
“Houses built a hundred years ago were not anchored to the ground,” Daiku san tells us as we walk around the site. “They sat on a network of horizontal beams propped up by short posts resting on rocks.” The fact that many of these buildings are still standing testifies to the skill of the Daiku san. “Nowadays,” we are told, “footings and foundations are made of cement. But the structural principles remain the same.” This applies also to the walls, which are quite different in concept and construction from those in Western-style houses.
The interior walls of a Japanese house are intended to be more like partitions than solid barriers. “Over a lattice of split bamboo like this,” explains Daiku san, pointing to a wall under construction, “two to five layers of clay will be applied. The consistency of each layer is different, and each layer must dry thoroughly before the next one is applied. Because of this, it takes three months, on the average, to finish a house.” (Of course, to build a dream house takes much longer.) The walls, finished with a coat of fine clay or sand in the natural earth tones favored by the Japanese, will breathe and not sweat as concrete walls often do in a damp climate.
Next, Daiku san draws our attention to the floor. The veranda, hallway, and kitchen floors will be hardwood. Most of the other rooms are carpeted with tightly woven grass mats called tatami. This unique floor covering is warm in winter, cool in summer, and firm yet soft enough to sit or lie upon. Each mat is about three feet by six feet [1 m by 2 m] and two inches [5 cm] thick. Rooms are identified by the number of mats they will hold, and so are called eight-, six-, or four-and-a-half-mat rooms, depending on the size.
A Closely Guarded Family Secret
Where the skill of the Daiku san really excels is in his masterful use of joinery. Our guide shows us manuals over 70 years old, handed down by his father. They contain page after page of complex, fascinating joinery cuts. From ancient times a master carpenter would keep his joinery techniques a closely guarded secret, passing them on only to his son or successor. Although it is no longer necessary, a whole house could be built without using a single nail.
“Some of these joinery techniques are similar to those used by carpenters elsewhere. For instance, there are the interlocking dovetail, rabbet, butt, and scarf joints,” explains Daiku san. Just what joints are used depends upon the tension and stress in that part of the building. The proper joints will also absorb earthquake tremors, allowing the house to roll with the shock.
The Crowning Glory
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the traditional Japanese house is the roof. It seems large and rather heavy compared to the rest of the house. But Daiku san tells us the roof is actually a stabilizer against the elements, getting its strength from the sturdy, whole-log roof beams. Though roofs come in many styles, generally they are gabled or hipped or are a combination of the two. Daiku san shows us some roof tiles made of baked clay. Again, earth tones prevail, with the exception of a popular sparkling azure blue.
“The slightly upturned corners and deep overhang of the eaves are important details for the comfort of future tenants,” Daiku san points out. “They allow you to leave the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors to the veranda open in the humid rainy season. Yet they are set at just the right angle to keep out the hot summer sun.”
Our inspection of the building site comes to a close. Now our guide invites us to view a home that it took him a year and a half to build.
A Real Dream House
The moment we drive up and look at its graceful lines, we know this is a house in which anyone would feel at home. The front door is latticed woodwork, fitted together by joinery and backed by glass. It slides open easily, and we walk into the beautiful entryway. After removing our shoes, we step up into the house. The floorboards of the hall feel solid under our feet.
We stop to look at the exposed structural posts. They are so smooth that they feel like silk to the touch and shine as if varnished. “No stain or lacquer was applied to any of the woodwork in the house,” Daiku san tells us, as if reading our minds. “It has been planed to the finest degree possible.”
In the Japanese-style parlor, we take in the details of the room. The transom, or header, over the sliding doors, or panels, is an intricate carving of cherry blossoms. All around the room are sliding panels that are made of paper stretched over wooden frames. The sliding doors facing the veranda are latticed and covered with thin, white shoji paper. Those (called fusuma) that open to the hallway or other rooms are covered with heavier paper. Each of these panels, which serve as room dividers, is decorated with a different pattern. “These small rooms can be converted into one large room simply by removing these sliding panels,” Daiku san explains. How practical!
The only solid wall holds the tokonoma, or picture recess, and its adjoining shelf corner. “This is the beauty spot of the house,” says Daiku san, “and the best wood and workmanship go into it.” Today, a striking calligraphy scroll hangs there.
We are shown through the rest of the house. The pleasant smell of cedar, cypress, pine, and the tatami gently permeates each room. A subtle simplicity and elegance touch everything in the house.
On our way out, the garden awaits our inspection. Though not very large, it is peaceful and serene. It has a pool full of brightly colored carp and a lovely waterfall. We come away with a feeling of satisfaction, marveling at the skill and ingenuity displayed when Daiku san builds a house.