Josef Setnička: About the Architecture and Decoration of the Japanese House.

The constant exchange of relationships between the West and the East is also reflected in modern architecture. The old Japanese house significantly influenced the architecture of Western houses; conversely, the new Japanese house has adopted forms and methods of modern Western architecture.
The charms of the Japanese house lie in its simplicity and versatility. The essence of the ethical and aesthetic values of the house is the Japanese spiritual understanding of things, a great love for nature, and the need for harmony among everything that surrounds them. Harsh natural conditions, frequent earthquakes, fierce storms and winds, alternation of frost and heat, drought and rain have taught the Japanese to view their dwelling, exposed to the continual fury of the elements, as a transient thing. Therefore, the Japanese house is constructed very lightly, often as a mere wooden skeleton with a far-reaching roof and verandas on all, or at least on the windy sides, which protect it against the intense sun and frequent downpours. The internal and external walls of the house are never solid. They are mostly movable walls and windows, which are put in or taken out according to the season. Inside, the house is divided by movable partitions and screens. This construction allows for the house to adapt to any weather, to be opened or closed at will. At night and in winter, it is closed off from the world like a hermetic shell. In summer, the movable walls, windows, shutters, doors, and partitions disappear, and the house transforms into an open space consisting only of a roof on pillars and a few solid walls, allowing the cool breeze from the sea to enter everywhere. The interior of the house is shaded only by "sudare," charming slatted blinds made of reeds or bamboo. For a European in Japan, this manner of construction is extraordinarily pleasant in the local climate; and when returning to the West, one feels as if the massive European house physically and mentally constrains them.
We can say that the versatility of the Japanese house has had a strong influence on the form of the modern Western house. The modern skeletal construction of an open floor plan, which can easily be divided by arbitrary arrangements of walls and spaces, is actually its certain counterpart. The influence of the Japanese house on modern Western architecture is best seen in that some of its constructive and dispositional elements have been purposefully used by prominent reformers of residential architecture such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Adolf Loos.
The significant influence of Japanese architecture on modern Western architecture has resulted in a large part of new Japanese houses that differ little from our own. Perhaps only by some established motifs, the use of local natural materials, and the main characteristics of decoration that the Japanese do not abandon even in modern attire. And yet, these are two different worlds. On one side is the thoroughly concrete and logical architecture of the West, whose main principle is the functional use of materials, the utility of the layout and interior equipment. Everything is solid and constant; nothing changes unnecessarily in the house, for the Western person loves the firm order of his dwelling and the constancy of the things used. Material needs often outweigh ethical values. But it is different in the East. Even in the modern Japanese house, which has a fundamentally Western character in its basic structure, traditional Oriental symbolism is hidden, a constant search for the hidden meaning of things, and their alignment with life. A thing is therefore valued only relatively, not according to its actual price, but according to how it satisfies its purpose not only materially but also spiritually. The Japanese constantly feel the need for something new; because he loves the essence of the eternal, he does not cling to the permanence of things. He loves a new house more than an old one. Old temples in Japan are often rebuilt to become subjects of new interest. The Japanese prefers fragile natural materials that require frequent repairs and changes, finding satisfaction in them. For him, matter is an expression of thought, and in its use, he seeks not only utility but also a spiritual relationship. Everything must be in harmony with his life, the seasons, and the need for beauty, which is never perfect for him and whose increase he constantly desires. Hence, he continually changes the appearance of his house according to winter or summer, or according to his thoughts and feelings.
The same characteristic features that define the architecture of the Japanese house are also found in its interior design and decoration. It is equally simple, but its essence is even more complex and spiritual. Traditional Japanese interiors are mostly empty, so it might seem that there is no decoration at all. This impression, however, arises mainly because Japanese rooms are almost devoid of furniture and chairs, as the Japanese prefers to sit on tatami mats on the floor, as is the old custom. The furniture is mostly stored away; tables and other furnishings are taken out as needed from cabinets. These are built into many recesses, as there is a need for a greater number of them in every Japanese house. They store not only numerous kimonos, sashes, and other clothing items, bedding and pillows (because the Japanese sleeps on mats, and therefore bedding must be stored away during the day), kakemono, precious porcelain, family jewels, and swords, paintings on silk, carefully wrapped in cotton wool, but also all the things that are left out in Western rooms. The Japanese does not love furniture just for decoration or to fill the emptiness that is so uncomfortable for people in the West. He loves open spaces so that nothing unnecessarily obscures the beauty of surfaces or openings. A room should occupy only the space and thoughts of its occupant.
These traditional customs are not, of course, observed as strictly now, as has already been said, the influence of modern Western architecture has also been applied in the construction of residential buildings in Japan. The Japanese has already adopted the "living room”, arranging dining rooms and bedrooms in a Western style. But even in modern houses, the traditional character of the decorations is preserved, the charms of which the Japanese cannot give up, for without them, living would have no real value for him.
Despite the apparent lack of decoration, the Japanese house is decorated with much greater care and ingenuity than in the West, but its decoration is significantly different. The Japanese primarily loves the harmony of natural forms with geometric forms. Decoration is more a variety of rectangular surfaces, harmoniously lined up one after another, silhouettes of paper window frames, triangles drawn with necessary borders of mats, and sliding screens that open a view into the garden. The Japanese has an extraordinary love for nature and therefore prefers materials in their natural state, such as wood, straw, bamboo, rushes, bark, etc., to more durable and resistant artificial materials. Thus, we do not encounter the gluing of ornaments onto usable surfaces in Japanese architecture, as was and still is the case in stylistic interiors in the West. But despite this simplicity, decoration is always very important to the Japanese because it means an opportunity to express the delicacy of spirit. Decoration must be primarily simple because only in true simplicity can charms be found. Therefore, there are usually only a few decorative items in the rooms, but they must be chosen and placed so that they form an aesthetic whole. The Japanese does not love chaos but firm order because he knows that rich and chaotic decoration does not contribute to beauty. Even if each individual item is the most beautiful, if they are not in harmony to evoke a poetic feeling, or to suggest something that relates to a specific occasion, the decoration is considered unsuccessful, for then it is merely a mixture of artistic objects and nothing more. Decoration should not provide the eye with striking effects, but should invoke clear calm, full of spiritual equanimity. It should express noble simplicity and quiet beauty, the value of which we appreciate gradually. This principle is the basis of the decoration of the Japanese apartment. This appearance has reached perfection in cha-no-yu, which means worshiping beauty in the simple things of everyday life, seeking charms beyond the surface of the ordinary and expressing oneself through various hints of spiritual ideas.
The Japanese clings to old customs, and thus even in a modern house, he cannot rid himself of traditional habits. In the Japanese house, two basic components continue to intertwine: utilitarian and spiritual. For the Japanese loves above all the hidden meaning of things, and therefore the decoration of his house is full of mysterious symbolism. In using the house, he seeks not only utility but also expression of spirit. The main decoration of the Japanese house is concentrated in the tea room (sukiya), where all ceremonial occasions take place. Here, guests are received, and here the Japanese retreats to immerse himself in internal experiences, to regain lost balance, etc. It is a windowless room dedicated to the cult of intimacy, which must not be missing in any Japanese house. Once it was a separate house or a thatched cottage. Even in ancient times, we encounter the architectures of tea houses, which are extraordinarily simple and charming. In the Japanese architectural review “Kokusai-Kenchiku” (No. 1, 1934), an overview of the classical architecture of Japanese tea houses from the 16th and 17th centuries is published. In these buildings, we find so many modern elements that we can rightly marvel at them today from the perspective of contemporary architecture.
The original ideography designates sukiya as a place of fantasy. Later it was characterized by tea masters as a place of emptiness, a place of missing symmetry. Eventually, it became a place of fantasy, like a refuge for poetic feelings. All these designations had their justification. It was called a place of emptiness because it was devoid of decoration, apart from a few adornments that were meant to satisfy the aesthetic feelings of the moment. These items were placed there only temporarily and chosen according to the occasion that arose. It was called a place of missing symmetry because it was meant to honor the unfinished, as it intentionally kept something uncompleted. The influence of Taoist and Zen views on perfection also manifested itself in a certain phase of Japanese art. The dynamic nature of this philosophy placed the main emphasis on the process by which perfection was to be achieved and not on the perfection itself. Symmetry means repetition and thus uniformity, which suppresses the expression of unusual delicacy of spirit. The tea house was meant to be completely inconspicuous and thus as small as possible. The internal arrangement was to evoke the impression of cultivated poverty, yet it had to be clear that each individual detail was the result of the deepest considerations and resolved with such care as if it were a construction of the richest palaces or temples. This impression could be created by a varied play of spiritual ideas, hence the third name for sukiya: place of fantasy.
Later, sukiya became a part of the Japanese house and remains today the main place of symbolic decoration, to which the Japanese devotes exceptional care. In the tea room, there is a recess called “tokonoma,” in which a “kakemono” (hanging thing) is suspended. There are many kakemono in every Japanese house, sometimes even several hundred, as the Japanese constantly adjusts the kakemono to various circumstances. Kakemono is either a painting or a verse that sets the basic tone of decoration; everything else is arranged according to it, everything must be in harmony with it. Therefore, the kakemono is constantly changed according to different occasions, daily or seasonal times, warmth or winter, moods it is meant to evoke, or impressions it is meant to create. Also, at every visit, it is chosen very carefully, as a visit is always associated with many ceremonies for the Japanese, and thus the selection of kakemono is very important. Below the kakemono, there is a vase with flowers, which must be selected to harmonize with the painting or verse of the kakemono, complementing it appropriately. This decoration is often meant to be a source of certain feelings for the Japanese, to evoke pleasant ideas in him and thus make him forget the unpleasant aspects of everyday life. This is achieved, of course, through his multifaceted imagination, which allows him to see a special symbolic meaning in every motif. It is therefore understandable that he often subjects the choice of kakemono and flowers to long considerations before he manages to assemble a composition that he considers suitable to evoke the desired ideas in him. For example, on a sultry summer afternoon, he might hang a kakemono with a painting of a mountain waterfall in the tokonoma and place a water lily or a blooming pink bud, sprinkled with water, below in the vase, with drops dripping onto the lacquered tray; and while watching the flower absorb moisture at the edges of its petals like the cooling dew of a fresh morning, he forgets the heat that torments him. Or on a frosty day, he might hang a kakemono with a painting of a wild cherry branch and place a camellia flower in the vase; this motif can invoke the feeling as if he hears the sweet whisper of approaching spring and the echo of the departing winter. A kakemono with a painting of flying wild ducks and several stems of reeds below in the vase can evoke in him inviting visions of fresh greenery on the shores of the lake. Or a kakemono with an aphorism from a learned Buddhist priest will lead him to contemplate the deep essence of religious truths. It always depends only on the Japanese's imagination to assemble such an effective composition from the infinite variety of motifs that will evoke truly poetic ideas in him, or evoke the need for deep philosophical or religious reflection. Many motifs, however, cannot be assembled arbitrarily but according to a fixed order that cannot be violated. In Japan, there are many connections that have arisen from symbolic relationships, and thus form indivisible motifs. For example, cherry blossoms, the fragile beauty of one day, symbolizes the glory of a warrior. The tiger is almost always associated with a bamboo thicket, the deer with a maple tree, lions with peonies, the nightingale with plum blossoms, the sparrow with swaying reeds, swallows with bending willows, etc. If one of these elements needs to be on the kakemono, the other is typically complemented by a floral arrangement or another ornament to achieve the appropriate harmony of decoration.
An important factor in the decoration of the room is also bonseki, sand paintings on black lacquer trays, as well as incense burners of all varieties and shapes, boxes for perfumes, lacquered ryoshubako, letter paper boxes, suzuri-bako, ink and brush boxes, weapons, swords, and an infinite variety of vases, and many other items used as decorations of the Japanese house, whose meaning is always expressed in symbolic hints. Then it depends only on the visitor’s imagination to uncover their hidden meaning and thus appreciate with what ingenuity and care the decoration was created and brought into harmony with all circumstances.

The Czech architect Antonín Raymond, who first went to America and later permanently settled in Japan, embodies in his buildings the conjunction of two worlds: modern culture and civilization of the West with the inner essence of the Far East, spirituality, and symbolism. His functionalist architecture, similar in construction, structure, and purpose to the West, differs little, mainly in the fulfillment of local conditions. However, when it comes to residential houses, of which Antonín Raymond designed a number, from which we reproduce three buildings, they are typically Japanese forms, in which the plan and furnishings must preserve the traditional principles of Japanese living. They are thus not just pure exoticism in appearance, the use of local materials, wood, straw, and other natural substances, but their essence is deeper. They show us many charms of the residential culture of the Far East, stemming from the Japanese's spiritual relationship with his house and its natural environment, a cult that has evolved over centuries. As the architect in Japan designs a residential house, Antonín Raymond describes it this way: “An architect working in Japan has the advantage of seeing how the fundamental principles of contemporary architecture materialize before him in Japanese architecture and civilization, principles that have not yet been realized in the West in full purity, as they encounter prejudices rooted in race. However, changes arising from contact with the West compel him to distinguish between two lives of the inhabitants: on one side purely Japanese, on the other Western.
When an architect begins to work on the design of a Japanese house, he first conducts a study of the terrain and simultaneously resolves the plans for the house and garden, as the house requires direct contact with nature. The Japanese draws all his poetry and philosophy directly from nature. He loves nature captivatingly, more than we do. He makes sacrifices for love of it that we are not capable of. He spends considerable sums on the maintenance and beautification of his garden corner, not just for its upkeep but for his entertainment. The garden and the house form a unified whole. The garden permeates the house, and the house creeps into the garden like a snake into the grass. Living in closed blocks, as in the West, is impossible here. There must always be exits. The thought of searching for a door is intolerable here. It is not enough for the Japanese to merely come close to the distant horizon from the upper part of the house. He needs a piece of damp ground, even no larger than a handkerchief, with a rock and a few leaves, on which he sees raindrops streaming down. He places this corner so that, when looking at it, he can imaginatively take distant journeys while remaining kneeling in the middle of the room.
The orientation of the house in regard to climate is important, as there are maximum levels of humidity and dryness with sudden transitions. The main winds blow from the north in winter and from the south in summer. The house is oriented to the south and is completely open from this side, meaning that it only has openings and columns through which refreshing breezes can enter in summer and the weak sun in winter. On the northern side, openings are established, necessary for air circulation, without which everything would mold, and to utilize the shady side of the garden.
In every house, it is necessary to place several entrances, first and foremost an entrance for visitors, which is the main entrance, an entrance for family members, and if it is a larger house, also an entrance for staff.
The arrangement of the bathing facilities is important, which has been considered in Japan since ancient times as both a refreshing means and a hygienic necessity. In family houses, the bath is installed splendidly. From the entrance, where one leaves their clothes, one enters a large, well-ventilated bathing area, where the bather first lathers up and rinses off, and only then enters the bath itself. This is deep, most often made of pleasantly scented white wood; when sitting, the significantly warm water rises to our neck. Entire families go to the bath together. It is a cheerful environment. We place bathrooms, if possible, on the sunny side with a beautiful view. The arrangement of bathing facilities in the Japanese manner should be promoted in other countries as well.
But there is still one important thing that is characteristic of designing a Japanese house. It is "Kimon," the science of appeasing household deities. Once the sketches are finished, the architect and builder must consult with a priest, who tells them whether the various parts of the house, the entrance, kitchen, or bedroom are happily positioned in relation to the center of the house, or whether it is likely that the inhabitants will be chased by misfortune and poor health. Sometimes it is necessary to shift a room to the east, move a fountain so that it is not directly facing south, or even completely abandon the project. The timing of the start of construction and the decision-making of the builder are also determined according to auspicious dates. The modern Japanese lacks humor when talking about "Kimon," but he would never occupy a house without consultation with a sage."