Yet both are derivative of traditional roofs. Both of the above homes are reasonably new, but are very different in nature. And even within one region there is a lot of variation. VarietyĮven with the limited traveling I’ve done in Japan I’ve noticed a very distinct difference in building and roofing styles depending on the region. The whitest building is a storage building, and even the window in it gets a roof. I love the wall and trees-and peaking through the wall to catch glimpses of the garden-and the many roofs that intersect at various angles. This is an incredible complex (a private home), but unfortunately I’ve never been in to see the house and gardens. This house has been well kept up over the time we’ve lived in the area, but unfortunately the lady who lived there has moved to a care facility due to her age (closing in on 100), which makes me concerned because empty houses generally deteriorate quickly, as so many have in our area. The little triangles on the roof are to keep the snow from sliding off all at once. The thatch has been covered with painted diamond-shape metal sheets. This house is about the same age as ours, estimated to be somewhere around 160 years old. On the roof of the wall stands Daikokuten, one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune in Japan (which are derivative of mythological gods in India). The tiles last up to 50 or 60 years, and this place was re-roofed a number of years ago, at which time they had the Shikkui plaster walls redone too. (See my previous blog article.) Modern House with Traditional RoofsĪ few people still build traditional houses with ceramic tile roofs, such as the one shown above. Now the only thatched roofs remaining are covered in metal sheets, like ours, which is covered in copper. When we first moved into this area over 30 years ago, there were three or four houses with uncovered thatched roofs. I particularly enjoy the old farm house above with its powerful roof and natural dirt walls. As far as I can tell, the oldest remaining residential buildings are about 200 years old. Of course there are no buildings left that are even close to being that old, yet I find a lot of enjoyment in the old ones that do remain. Recently they even found Yayoi (hundreds of years BC) artifacts when putting in a new road, along with historic artifacts that are more recent. We live in an area with an ancient history.
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