Minkas: Japanese Recycled Houses
August 31st, 2006 by Monkey
Minka houses are Japan’s equivalent of our log cabins. Until the middle of the twentieth century, most ordinary country people lived in them. They were built using local materials such as wood and paper, and techniques such as thatch and no nails, that were suited to the local climate and lifestyles. The mud-plastered walls and thatched roof structure were resistant to earthquakes and easy to rebuild. In northern Japan, they had steep roofs and small windows to cope with the long snowy winters; in the hot south, they were small and low with raised floors– well-ventilated and typhoon resistant. Today, many minkas are being demolished and the craftsmen disappearing. But people are beginning to realize that they are the ideal recycleable house, sympathetic to the environment and using local sustainable materials.
Originally from Treehugger on August 31, 2006, 7:24am
