Most houses in Japan
look similar to American homes. They
are made from steel, concrete or wood.
Because land is scarce especially in cities, houses are expensive and
fairly small. This house is in a
neighborhood of many other homes.
The entrance (genkan)
corridors and kitchen have wooden floors.
When you enter a home you remove your shoes and leave them facing toward
the outer door. This way no dirt can enter
a home. You step up into the hallway
into slippers. If you use the toilet
room you wear different toilet slippers.
In
each house there is one traditional room.
This one is covered with a woven rush mat called a tatami mat. Some walls are covered with rice paper. I slept in this room.
Important things are
displayed for people to see in a special part of the house called the shoin.
At
night you sleep on a bed or a soft, cotton-filled mattress called a futon. Futons are folded up and put away each night
so the room can be used as a living room during the day.
The Japanese bathroom (furoba) looks very
different than the ones we have in the United States. It is used just for bathing.
It is separate from the toilet.
The rectangular tu
b is deeper than the ones in the U.S. It is filled with very hot water and is used
for soaking and relaxing only. Before
you get in the tub you wash with soap and rinse while you sit on a small stool
next to the tub. Because each person
enters the bath clean, the whole family can use the same tub of water.