Shigetsura Shiga

“ The “Shinden-tsukuri” (living-palace-type) or “Adzumaya” of more than one thousand years ago was a nature of pure aristocracy; indulgence in gratification of a pleasure being the predominant object of its plan. The whole group of buildings was like a summer house in modern sense. On the other hand, “Shoin-tsukuri” (Study room-type) was a type which well represents the spirit of Samurai, and it became undoubtedly the prototype of modern Japanese dwelling houses. ”

“ Every student of architecture knows that the thirteenth century in England is a zenith of Early English Gothic, why is it that the manor-house and the great landowner’s residence did not come under the influence of art then flourishing in the country? ”

“ A bird, a flower, we use them as materials to give a sensation of pleasure to the eyes, there the fine arts exist. To treat them with taste and refinement needs experience and an educated eye. Japanese domestic architecture, in a word, is, I believe, good in its spirit but leaves a large field to be cultivated in its treatment. If the remark that “Art nouveau” has its source partly in Japanese art is true, why may it not be true that the general adoption of straight lines, which has lately been much preferred by certain European architects in interior decoration, owes its origin to Japan? ”

“ Once again I take up this point and call the attention of all Japanese. Works of art, no matter what they are, should express the sentiment or impression of the artist. The work which has beauty as its object should call forth the sentiment or impression of beauty to the observer or hearer. ”

“ How much more is the drinking of a beverage, which began with the transcendental contemplation of a Hindoo anchorite, entitled to develop into a handmaid of Religion and Morality? That calmness of mind, that serenity of temper, that composure and quietness of demeanor which are the first essential [48] of Cha-no-yu, are without doubt the first conditions of right thinking and right feeling. The scrupulous cleanliness of the little room, shut off from sight and sound of the madding crowd, is in itself conducive to direct one’s thoughts from the world. ”

“ Simple, natural, tasteful, and clean are words which will express the pervading feature of the Japanese parlor. Should we follow or maintain this unscientific and consequently uncomfortable method of treating our parlor in the future dwelling house?
The Japanese dark ages, the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, left us a memento the architecture of “Chashitsu”, (tea-house architecture) the oddest and most unique architecture the world has ever known. Without an adequate knowledge of the treatment of this architecture no one can reach a true kernel of Japanese domestic [47] architecture. ”

“ It is more convenient to treat negatively than to attempt positively the discussion of domestic architecture. In order to protect or fulfill the established principles all hindrances from all sides should be overcome. What I cite in the following has reference only to the Japanese and does not refer at all to the foreigners. It is an appeal made only to the Japanese. I consider prejudice one of the impediments in the way of progress which we have to strive to remove. So long as we are adhering to it no advancement can be expected and improvement of our houses is entirely hopeless. ”

“ It is dangerous for an uninitiated to live in a house designed by an uninformed builder or an ignorant amateur architect; the outlay for the house [6] is too high to merely display one’s vulgarity or low taste. A result which is an outgrowth of inexperienced hands with little or no attention to the modern application of science, and a sequence of a gathered knowledge of worthless, scattered information would undoubtedly be surpassed by that which worked upon common sense as its foundation and was finished by the principle of aesthetics. ”

“ Why then do the things made by hands which are cheaper than machinery cost more than the things made by machine? This is a most important question to be solved by present Japanese architects and is one after which they are striving. According to my own view, the love of nature, admiration of simplicity and irregularity which are so much a part of the national taste or character are the greatest barriers to the way of progress of our domestic architecture, if the mechanical appliances to house building is called a progress. ”

“ A well, a stone basin, a stone post lantern, a flat-top stone, all these necessary elements of Japanese miniature landscape gardening have poetical nomenclature referring to history, religion and tradition. To the bystanders it may merely seem quite an odd, unsymmetrical, picturesque and artful imitation of natural scenery, but profound spiritual meaning which only educated Japanese can understand permeate each of the elements of a garden. It is altogether too practical as European landscape gardening is too scientific. ”

“ According to my own view, if one choose his habitation to look European he need not hesitate to do so; but if he prefer to treat his house with Japanese design he may do it so: Chinese, Hindoo, Greek, or Roman make no difference whatever as far as the selection of design is concerned; the determination of national art is another question not involved here. The freedom of design should strictly be observed in any time and place provided the precautions hereafter set forth be carefully heeded.
To live in a perfect house is an ideal or ambition quite out of reach ”

“ A house as the abode of man as a social being; has it no relation to the development of human society and human culture? Also has it no concern with human character and conduct? In discussing dwelling houses, all these should be taken into consideration. And though it seems to be entirely beyond the scope of an architect’s work, yet it has [9] a great concern with the future development of Japanese houses.
There can be nothing perfect in this world; in order to fulfil one desire something else may or must be sacrificed: for economy’s sake beauty may be sacrificed ”

“ This kind of house should of course not be treated under the heading of dwelling house proper. We have such houses everywhere in the city at present and cannot [64] expect to exterminate them in the near future. But the advancement of civilization may not allow such varied forms of houses to exist; the rise of land value and increase of lease bring forth the co-operative system of business or compel a man to work on a large scale and thereby drives the good natured hamlet dwellers, gratifying themselves with a beautiful world of their own, out of the field of fierce struggle for existence. ”

“ PLAN FOR A DWELLING HOUSE
In a word we should build houses for [28] the appearance sake so far as architectural aspect is concerned, and as to the interior the privacy should never be lost sight of. Our houses run from one extreme to the other; unless they are kept strictly secluded by walling the house lot by tall fences they are so widely open that one can see at a glance from one corner of a house. We frequently notice it among the lower classes of people. Fences are walls in Japanese houses; if they be taken away a house stands naked or defenceless. ”

“ Though much light has been thrown on the history of Japanese religious architecture by Professor Itō of the Imperial university of Tokyo, we can infer very little from him as to how our dwelling houses were in the past. Religious buildings and palaces form an important element in the history of architecture in all nations, and Japan is no exception. ”

“ The question of home education is a much talked of subject of late years. It is of paramount importance for the parents and elders of a family to lead their youngers and children by behaving themselves so that the latter can be moulded after the mould which had been laid down by the former. Most Japanese emphatically call attention to this point when they talk of the home education. But we should acknowledge that this is not all that will affect the character or culture of young people. Every body knows that a school, in its nature is a place where the young people are [18] educated ”

“ It may be interesting to note how this spirit is expressed in our domestic architecture; Samurai likes to dignify himself and rule his retainers accordingly; so the house has a ridiculously large gate and occupies exceedingly vast area in its plan. Samurai observes the propriety of etiquette in the highest degree as he thinks it a most important factor of a social decorum; for that reason, even though there is no proper partition in the house etiquette works like a strong wall. ”

“ If the governing art of the twentieth century the “art nouveau” has more or less connection to the fanciful products of Japanese art as some American writer asserts, the amalgamation of accessory art like landscape gardening of Japanese with that of European may succeed in producing some thing which is acceptable to the whim and fantastic thought of modern architects. ”

“ Here I should again state that the seclusion principle of Japanese houses does not involve any sense that “each man’s [17] house is his castle” which was said by laying most stress upon man’s proper right. On the whole, the comprehensive idea of reserve and modesty pervades all Japanese houses from exterior treatment and to interior decoration. If it is one of the principles of human nature that things half seen appeal most strongly to our taste and tempt us most with interest and appreciation, as the same author said, American fences are too low, and those of Japanese are too high ”

“ How the nakedness of a house exerts an influence upon the moral effect of inhabitants of the house, we can tell it at once by their indifference to the individual right, and their rude demeanor to the general public. ”

“ And at length they deduced a conclusion that the so-called civilization of the West is not only based on superficial progress of materialism but it had profound root in the mental training of the citizens; comparison and discussion have taken place in every institution of education throughout the Empire. This is one of the procedures of pushing one step further toward the advancement of this country. We hear also too often of late years as to the questionable qualities of the behavior of citizens toward the public, and so much talk about the improvement of general customs of the country. ”

“ The houses as any other objects of utility should be improved by keeping abreast with the advancement of science. The house as a thing which has a money value and useful object to contain human beings, is not different from the railroad train and the steam boat. While a marked progress in these is being noticed from time to time what have we done for the house? We have shown a certain improvement in aspect by adopting European architectural style in house [36] design, but a very little alteration has been done in its plan. ”

“ This spirit of simplicity and rustication is well exemplified in the so called refined parlor of a modern Japanese house. There is no doubt that Shoin type and Chashitsu construction have given much influence to the modern [52] Japanese houses.
The Greece borrowed the motives of art from Egypt, Assyria, and Phoenicia and composed them so splendidly that it seemed as if they were quite original to the Greeks. Greeks are no doubt an artistic people, they formed an artistic idea from an inartistic source, giving grace of form to a disfigured object and perfect harmony to an inharmonious color ”

“ It is curious to note that so called American balloon frame construction represents the idea of Americanism, the democracy, each member having no special office particularly assigned to it, yet stands firmly by joint strain. I do not for a moment deduce that a system or a form of government has any direct connection to the construction of a house; but it modifies greatly in the planning of [34] a house for the reason that a plan of a house evolves a national idea. This is well illustrated by the plan of both American and Japanese dwelling houses. ”

“ These are not important factors, however, from an architectural stand point, as the decoration of a house though they may have no small influence upon childrens’ character.
A father is the man who knows best his son’s character. Japanese is the man who is most fully aware of the weak points of his fellow-citizen; every body admits that we are inclined to irregularity in doing things, destitute of selfrespect, indifferent regarding individual proper rights, these are only a few among many which are to be cited. ”

“ The plan of a house necessarily becomes narrower in front in the city dwelling as we often notice in houses at Kioto and Osaka. London and New York and all other Western great cities lay examples before us, but it is curious to note that Tokyo furnishes many examples which are contrary to this fact. Domestic architecture develops in this direction only not in any other way. ”

“ It will not take more than a century before the problem is solved; and meanwhile it is enough to remember that the only way for progress is to abandon what one consider wrong and to adopt what is right. ”