Japanese village: history, traditional way of life, houses and description with photo

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

Japan is an amazing country, visiting which a tourist will surely get a lot of unforgettable impressions. Here you can admire picturesque rivers, bamboo forests, rock gardens, unusual temples, etc. Of course, many large modern cities have been built in Japan. But part of the population of this country, like probably any other, lives in villages. Japanese countryside settlements in many cases have retained their unique national flavor and style to this day.

A bit of history

The Japanese islands began to be populated by humans in the Paleolithic era. Initially, the inhabitants here were engaged in hunting and gathering and led a nomadic lifestyle. The first settlements in Japan arose in the Jomon era - approximately in the 12th millennium BC. In those days, the climate on the islands began to change due to the formed Tsushima warm current. The inhabitants of Japan switched to a settled way of life. In addition to hunting and gathering, the population also began to engage in fishing and animal husbandry.

Today in Japanese villages oftena lot of people live. But it was not always so. Initially, the number of inhabitants on the islands was very small. However, in the 13th millennium BC. e. people from the Korean Peninsula began to actively migrate here. It was they who brought to Ancient Japan the technologies of rice cultivation and silk weaving, which are actively used today. The population of the islands increased in those days by 3-4 times. And of course, many new settlements arose in ancient Japan. At the same time, the villages of migrants were much larger than those of local residents - up to 1.5 thousand people. The main type of housing in those days in Japanese settlements were ordinary dugouts.

From the 4th c. In Japan, the process of formation of statehood began. During this period, the culture of the islands was greatly influenced by Korea. In the country then called Nihon, the first capital of Nara was founded. Of course, Korean villages were also actively built in those days. They were located mainly around the capital, as well as in the valley of the Asuka River. Dugouts in the settlements at that time began to be gradually replaced by ordinary houses.

Wars

Later, by the VIII century, the influence of Korea gradually began to fade away and the Japanese rulers turned their eyes to China. At this time, a new capital was built on the islands, in which up to 200 thousand people lived. By this time, the formation of the Japanese nation itself was completed. In the VIII century, the emperors of the country began to gradually conquer the wooded territories of the natives, some of whom still led an almost primitive way of life. In order to strengthentheir positions in these regions, the rulers forcibly resettled here the inhabitants of the Central part of the country. And of course, new settlements began to appear in these places - villages and fortresses.

Ancient way of life

Japanese occupation has always directly depended on their place of residence. So, the inhabitants of the coastal villages were engaged in fishing, evaporation of s alt, collecting shellfish. The population of the wooded areas in times of conflict with the natives carried military service. The inhabitants of villages located in the mountains were often engaged in breeding silkworms, making fabrics, and in some cases, the production of gunpowder. In the plains, the settlers most often grew rice. Also in the Japanese villages were engaged in blacksmithing and pottery. Between the settlements of different "specializations" at the intersection of trade routes, among other things, market squares were formed.

The rhythm of life in Japanese villages has almost always been calm and measured. The villagers coexisted in perfect harmony with nature. Initially, the Japanese lived in communities in fairly large settlements. Later, of course, detached, fenced-in estates of the nobility began to appear in the country.

Modern Village

Outside the city, of course, some Japanese live today. There are also many villages in this country in our time. The rhythm of life in modern suburban settlements in Japan today is mostly calm and measured. Many inhabitants of such settlements, as in ancient times, growrice and fishing. In the mountain villages, silk is still made today. Quite often, the Japanese in small suburban settlements still live in communities today.

Worth a visit

The inhabitants of the villages of the Land of the Rising Sun, judging by the reviews of tourists, are very friendly. They also treat foreigners who come to visit them well. Of course, tourists do not visit deaf Japanese villages very often. But some settlements that have existed since ancient times still arouse the interest of foreigners. In such Japanese villages, among other things, the tourism business is well developed.

Modern suburban settlements in the Land of the Rising Sun look, judging by the reviews of travelers, very beautiful and cozy. In Japanese villages, flower beds are blooming everywhere, spectacular shrubs are growing, rock gardens are laid out.

How houses were built in the old days

One of the features of Japan, unfortunately, are frequent earthquakes. Therefore, since ancient times, a special technology for building houses has been used in this country. In Japanese villages, exclusively frame residential buildings have always been erected. The walls of such buildings did not carry any load. The strength of the house was given by a frame made of wood, assembled without the use of nails - by fastening with ropes and rods.

The climate in Japan is quite mild. Therefore, the facades of houses in this country were not insulated in ancient times. Moreover, only one wall has always been capital in such buildings. Between the skins, it was clogged with grass, sawdust, etc. Allthe rest of the walls were just thin wooden sliding doors. They were closed at night and in cold weather. On warm days, such doors were moved apart and the residents of the house got the opportunity to coexist in complete harmony with the surrounding nature.

The floors in ancient Japanese village houses were always raised high above ground level. The fact is that the Japanese traditionally sleep not on beds, but simply on special mattresses - futons. On a floor near the ground, spending the night like this would certainly be cold and damp.

There are several styles of Japanese ancient buildings. However, all houses in this country share the following architectural features:

• large cornices, the size of which can reach a meter;
• sometimes curved corners of slopes;
• ascetic exterior.

Facades of Japanese houses were almost never decorated with anything. Roofs in such houses were covered with grass and straw.

Modern Style

Today, in Japanese villages (you can see it clearly in the photo), only frame houses are still being built. After all, earthquakes in this country and in our days happen often. Sometimes in the villages in Japan you can also see skeletons built according to the Canadian technology that has become widespread in the world. But most often houses are built here according to local methods developed over the centuries.

The walls of modern Japanese houses, of course, are sheathed with sufficiently strong and reliable materials. But at the same time next to such buildings alwaysspacious bright terraces are being equipped. The cornices of Japanese houses are still long.

The floors in residential buildings in the villages are not raised too high these days. However, they are not equipped on the ground either. When pouring slab foundations, the Japanese provide, among other things, special ribs, the height of which can reach 50 cm. Even today, in village houses, many Japanese still sleep on mattresses.

Communications

More than 80% of Japan is mountainous. And laying gas pipelines on the islands is often simply impossible. Therefore, in most cases, houses in villages in Japan are not gasified. But of course, Japanese housewives cook in such settlements not at all in ovens. Blue fuel in the villages is obtained from cylinders.

Because the climate in Japan is not too cold, there is no central heating in the houses here. During the cold season, residents of local villages heat the premises with oil or infrared heaters.

The most beautiful Japanese villages

In the Land of the Rising Sun, as already mentioned, several ancient villages worthy of the attention of tourists have been preserved. For example, very often lovers of antiquity visit Japanese villages called Shirakawa and Gokayama. These settlements have existed in Japan for several centuries. In winter, the roads to them are covered with snow, and they find themselves in complete isolation from civilization.

Many residents of these villages are engaged in silk weaving and growingrice and vegetables. But the main part of the income of the Japanese living in these settlements is received from the tourism business. There are cafes, souvenir shops, shops of various specializations. Some residents of these Japanese mountain villages also rent out rooms to tourists.

The settlements of Shirakawa and Gokayama are famous, among other things, for the fact that houses built in the gasse-zukuri style are still preserved here. A feature of these frame buildings are low walls and a very high, usually gable roof, under which there are one or two more floors. The houses in these settlements are covered, as in ancient times, with grass and straw.

Japanese village Mishima: how to move in

Japan has one of the few settlements in the world where new settlers are invited to live for money. The village of Mishima is located on three islands southwest of Kyushu and is experiencing a labor shortage. Mostly pensioners live here. Young people prefer to move to cities.

To revitalize the local economy, the village community made an ingenious decision to attract new young and hard-working residents. All Japanese citizens, as well as long-term residents of the country, are invited to relocate to Mishima for a fee. For several years, the settlers are promised to receive a large monthly allowance (about 40,000 rubles in domestic currency) and a free cow.

People fromother countries, including Russia. However, foreigners who are not familiar with Japanese culture can only be allowed into the village if the community elders deem it possible.