Expressive Space -- Japanese Style

Author: Compiled by Betsh Publishing Co., Ltd.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-09-01
Features: After the Meiji Restoration, amidst Westernization, Western furniture arrived in Japan alongside Western architecture and decorative arts. With reasons such as rational design, comprehensive systems, and ergonomic compliance, it exerted a significant impact on traditional Japanese home furnishings. However, traditional homes did not vanish. To preserve their Yamato national identity, modern Japanese homes still prioritize simplicity, concentrating Japanese design in a specific space.
In the residences of ordinary Japanese people, the "Western-style rooms" (yōshitsu) for external use—such as living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens—are furnished with sofas, chairs, and other modern furniture. In contrast, the "Japanese-style rooms" (washitsu) for internal use—such as bedrooms and leisure areas—feature tatami mats, ash walls, cedar boards, and paper lattice sliding doors. The lifestyle of "mixing East and West" is widely accepted, while fully Western or fully Japanese styles are now rare. To this day, Western furniture remains dominant in Japan, and the dual-structure approach continues to be practiced.