Introduction to Kyo-Machiya

Kyo-Machiya is one of our representitatives which we have constructed.
Symbolism in Kyoto is Kyo-Machiya, in prewar days, there were many houses which had Mukuri-roof* or eaves of same heig ht in the small alley of the whole town.
This type of Machiya includes a low 2nd-story ceiling and Mushikomado*, and an entrance door and projected lattices at the large-eave first floor. Those atomosphere creates an unity of Kyoto town scenery.
These days however, we can see a few of those styles in a certain area.
Therefore, we have continued to renovate and build those Kyo-Machiya as many as possible so that we can leave the tradition of Kyoto.
If you see the above pitcutres, it is easy to understand why Machiya architecture itself is A design.
We also make a strong effort to cultivate the best skills and sense of our carpentors to continue working with Machiya in future. *Mukuri-roof... Slightly curved roof
　　　　　　　　　 In those days, people in Kyoto preferd visually small houses.
　　　　　　　　　 If you see this shaped roof in front, it looks smaller than the houses in the actual size.
Mushikomado...A type of window containing a lattice made by soid wall, to improve airflow

Various faces in Kyo-Machiya

01 Open space called as Miseniwa
Originally Kyo-machiya has living and working spaces in one house.
The front area which is called Mise was used for working. There are beautiful stone mats in a row.

02　Nure-En( outside porch)
It is designed to prevent water from building up on rainy days.
Guests wash hands at the washbasin on the handrail.

03 Shitajimado(a window of a structure)
A window is cut out from a wall to let in light.
It is called 'shitaji-mado' because a wall foundation bamboos are shown.

04　Kitchen
Kyo-machiya has an open ceiling space to let in light.
There is one log which is called pillar filler on the middle.

05　Tatami room
A tokonoma is on the left side.
It is an alcove where art or flowers are displayed. The front wooden screens are composed by paper-use shouji on the above and a glass-fitted shouji on the below. It is aimed that guests can see a beautiful garden when they sit on tatami.

06　Another tatami room
tokonoma on the right has its own small shouji screen to let in light.
There is an inner porch behind the front wooden screens, and a garden over its porch.
Wooden fitting designs are many and interesting.

07　Other tatami room
This tokonoma also has small shouji screen to let in light, and also has a desyo-in where is located next to the tokonoma. You can take light from outside and enjoy reading there.

08　Well bucket
Usually Kyo-machiya had a well.
This pully block is installed for hauling water out of a well.

09　Kura(a granary)
granary was offten built behind the Kyo-machiya.
Its mud wall was made more than 30cm thicker to protect a family treasure from a fire.

10　Living space
An outside street is behid the front glass screen .
A living room is usually floored with tatami mats, however, it is changed to flooring mats for sitting on chairs.

11　Frosted glass
Grind a clear glass screen caredully except a round part.

12　Fire box in traditional Japanese lantern
Plaster clay to the attic space not to spread a fire to the next wall.

13　Another kitchen
Cedar boards called Genpei*are put on the ceiling.
It is called from 2 mixed colors of white and red parts.
*A meaning of Genpei comes from the clans of Genji and Heike.

14　Cha-no-ma (another living room)
here are 4 wooden screens installed, 2 of them are opened in this picture. 2 front screens are opened so that you can see the landscape garden. This room has Tsuri-doko on the right top instead of tokonoma.

15　Another cha-no-ma
This picture was taken from a garden to see inside a chanoma. Bamboo blinds make natural sunlight soft and weak. It is possible to reach washbasin from the porch by using kutunugi-ishi* and stepping-stones.
kutsunugi ishi is a flat-topped stone used for taking off one's shoes before entering the porch.

16　Shoki-san
Small statue of Shoki the Plague-Queller, it is placed on the overhang of traditional houses.
It drives away evil and protect house.

17　Staircase
Normally stairs are not built in a blow-by. However, our client wanted to have it there due to enjoying a wide space.

18　Flooring room
In case of using chairs and table, it is possible to chage to flooring room instead of tatami mats. In this case, the Japanese oak materials are used.

19　Stairs and well
A sunlight comes from the ceiling to the well over the stairs.

20　Hanare
It is a cottage separate from the main building. Seeing hanare from the main building, a round lattice window on the left has shouji screen inside. The design of its front glass screens is called 'Otafuku-mado'.

21　Engawa-porch
In the center backside, you will see lattice doors facing the street. The tatami room is in the middle, and engawa porch is in front. Large glasses are installed in engawa fitting doors so that they integrate with the landscape garden.

22　Another engawa porch
A lot of Japanese cedars are used for the engawa porch to make its texture soft. It is easy to feel each season on sunny days when you open the wooden screens like this picture.

23　Entrance space
Visitors come and sit in this room. Flowers or a folding screen are shown for the guests.

24　Tatami on Entrance
Tatami mats are set on the passageway. The tatami floor is soft and not cold when walking.

25　Tatami on Passageway
Tatami is placed on the passageway.
It is good to feel tatami smell and texture when you have flooring room instead of tatami mats.

26　Sudare - Bamboo blinds
It is hanged down from the roof to avoid sunlight. There are many kinds of sudare depending on its materials and weaving. Mainly it is used as sunshades and blinders. roll up sudare screens when you needs sunshine into the room.

27　Junto-sanpeki (roof frame at open ceiling)
Complicated roof frames rely on the carpentars' skill.
The wall is a second coat finish.

28　Another Junto-sanpeki
Brow-by atomosphere depends on the carpentars' skill. The wall is a white lime plaster finish.

29　Projecting lattice window
This house has wide space lattice window to show Kimono which is displayed inside of its lattice, especially when town festvals are held.

30　Another projecting lattice window
It is called Itoya-lattice window which has 3 line-faceted lattice. This design is offten liked for marchants dealed with fiber business. Those are colored in dark brown by mixing colcothars and sumi-ink balls.

31　Lattice window
It is komochi kiriko style which has 2 thin line-faceted lattice.

Tori-niwa（passage garden*）
In Kyo-machiya, a kitchen in a series of earthen floors is called Tori-niwa.
In this picture, there is a washing machine under the kitchen.

33　Wood-burning stove
The benefit of a machiya-house is cooler than outside and easy to spend time in summer. On the other hand, it is also cold in winter. This house owner added a wood stove to prepare for winter. What is more, heat insulating materials are installed over the house, therefore only one stove warms the entire house.

34　Hinoki-cypress bath
In Japan, we fill the bath with hot water and soak in the tub.
Hinoki smell in the air goes into the entire room.

35　Appearance
There are a mukuri-roof*, a mushiko-mado*, the Shoki the Plague-Queller(traditional Chinese deity said to prevent plagues and ward off evil beings), 、an Ichimonji-kawara style(beeline kawara tiles), a projecting lattice, clinker-built wooden paneling. This is the traditional and popular appearance of Kyo-machiya.

*Mukuri-roof... Slightly curved roof
　　　　　　　　　　 In those days, people in Kyoto preferd visually small houses.
　　　　　　　　　　 If you see this shaped roof in front, it looks smaller than the houses in the actual size.
　Mushikomado...A type of window containing a lattice made by soid wall, to improve airflow