Page 173 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Japan

GASSHO-ZUKURI HOUSES
These houses are named for their steep thatched roofs, shaped like gassho
(“praying hands”). Formed of a series of triangular frames on a rectangular base,

the roofs are able to withstand heavy snow and shed rain quickly so that the
straw does not rot. Generally three or four stories tall, the first floor of gassho-
zukuri houses traditionally accommodated extended families of 20–30 people,
who were all involved in silkworm culti vation. The upper floors housed the
silk worms, permitting variations in light, heat, and air at different stages. To
maximize venti lation and light, windows at both ends were opened to allow
the wind through. Architectural details vary from village to village.

Horizontal poles are
used for securing ropes
when doing repairs. Did You Know?
The thatch, made No nails were used to
from miscanthus, build these houses –
can be up to the timbers are
3 ft (1 m) thick.
bound together with
straw rope.

Gassho roofs
slope at about
60 degrees.

Ceiling slats allow
smoke from the hearth
to reach the roof. A notched pole
acts as a ladder.
Horizontal beams are slightly
curved to absorb stress.

A typical
The hearth was
used for heating, gassho-zukuri
cooking, and house in the
drying the silk. Shokawa Valley

A gassho-zukuri house in
Ainokura, one of the five
hamlets of Gokayama

173

172-173_EW_Japan.indd 173 04/02/2019 17:03