What is machiya?

What is machiya?

Visitors are welcomed by refined and classic wooden houses as walking down the street in the old townscape. These houses are called “machiya,” one of the Japanese traditional wooden architectures. They have an over thousand years of history, and even now have gained attention as a sustainable residence in recent years. However, many machiya have been demolished despite their historical value. Below are the reasons why people have been attracted to machiya for a long time and why should we know about them now.

Coping with hot and humid climate

Machiya have a lot of unique characteristics that are developed to have resilience against extreme weather and earthquake in Japan. Firstly, their wooden pillars remain to be exposed to the sides of the plastered wall, to maintain humidity inside by absorbing moisture from the air when it is too humid and discharging it when it is dry. Additionally, the paper covering of the shoji (sliding doors) also has the same ability as walls do.

Secondly, machiya have a courtyard called “tsuboniwa” inside the house. This courtyard functions not only as a relaxing space but also as a natural temperature and lighting control system. Tsuboniwa prevents direct sunlight and provides the right amount of sunlight at the same time, adjusting room temperature as a result. It also allows air to circulate in the house and creates comfortable living space despite the hot and humid summer in Japan.

Earthquake-resistant structures

Finally, machiya are constructed with very simple methods, and even have a seismic isolation structure. The buildings are designed with various sizes of wooden pieces being crossed vertically and horizontally, and they are simply placed on foundation stones. The structure, in which foundation stones and pillars are completely separated, prevents the building from collapsing entirely. Kaoru Matsui, an architect who has restored many machiya townhouses, said that machiya will withstand an earthquake with Japanese seismic intensity of 4.

New life for abandoned machiya

However, a lot of machiya have been demolished despite their value. It is estimated that kyo-machiya (machiya in Kyoto) are decreasing in number by 2% every year. The decrease in the number of residents and expensive maintenance costs are some of the causes. To tackle this issue, local organizations and entrepreneurs have started restoring and renovating abandoned machiya into cafes and hotels where visitors can enjoy a traditional yet sustainable lifestyle.

Ingenuity found in machiya has been developed for over a thousand years, and still gives us a hint to live sustainably. Living without overusing energy and receiving the blessings of nature are the essence of machiya, which we can practice in everyday life still to this day.