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The ‘Green’ Wisdom of Traditional Japanese Architecture

Sustainable Architecture Tradition in Japan

01. Wood

Build, Disassemble, and Recycle.

Structure: Repairable. Transportable. The Art of Woodworking.

Air Dry Lumber: One of the Greenest Materials

The Inner Shrine in Ise is a symbol of Japan’s wood culture. They are constructed of 200 to 300 years old Japanese cypress. Every 20 years the buildings are dismantled, and new ones are built on the adjacent site to the exact same specifications. For the past 1300 years, this renewal cycle has been repeated, representing the idea of eternity (sustainability) in Shinto belief. The dismantled timbers are recycled for pre-determined purposes such as Torii (Shinto shrine gates) construction.

Embodied CO2 of Various MaterialsMany of us know wood is a green material, if it is harvested from sustainably managed forestries. But sustainably harvested lumbers are not equally green. According to the chart, air dry lumber has by far the least embodied CO2 amount, which is only 1/6 of kiln dry lumber. Interestingly, kiln dry lumber’s embodied CO2 is not that less than concrete. Air dry timbers have been essential to traditional Japanese wooden architecture as they are suitable for joinery connections.The Lunar Cycle and Wood HarvestingWhen would be the best time to cut trees for the highest quality wood? It is said wood harvested during the week before new moon in winter has less starch content, therefore is more dimensionally stable and more resistent against rot. In traditional drying process, trees are cut and left with leaves for 3 months in the field, followed by another 12months drying.

“Trees have a yearning to live again...The woodworker’s responsibility is to the tree itself, which has been sacrificed to live again in the woodworker’s hands.”-George Nakashima

The joinery timber connections were designed to allow disassembly and damaged components replacement. The connection details allow periodic alignment after earthquakes. When needed, an entire building was disassmbled and transported to a new location. Thus timbers were used over generations. We recognize a resource efficient sustainable wisdom in this tradition.

Left: Cultural Exchange Center at Hakone Garden in Saratoga, California. The building is a reproduction of a 19th century live/work urban townhouse in Kyoto. It was built in rigorously traditional way by a team of Japanese carpenters in Kyoto. The building was actually once assembled in Japan, then disassembled for shipment to California. The same team reassembled the timbers piece by piece on site.

Reference Source: Japanese Architecture Illustrations Revised Edition by Architectural Institute of Japan / Shokoku Publisher

Sustainable Architecture Tradition in Japan

02. Compact & Elegant LivingKyoto : High Density Urban Living

Townhouse Architecture

Compact Courtyard & Backyard Provide Comfort & AmenityThe architecture of townhouse incorporates small courtyards & backyards that provide comfort & amenity. In conjunction with the front street space, it had nourished the development of sophisticated urban culture in Kyoto. Service Corridor: Passage for Residents, Air, and Daylight.The front of a townhouse traditionally served as a retail space. The unfloored earthen service corridor runs from the front to the rear of the plot. It contains the kitchen and served as the passage for the residents, utitlities, air, and light. When water is sprinkled onto the street surface, it chills the air and the corridor space brings the chilled air from the street into the inside of the building. The skylight and vent over the corridor space provide natural ventilation and daylighting in conjunction with the backyard.

Kyoto was Japan’s capital from 794 to 1868. Today it is known for its wealth of traditional heritage. Since late 16th century, high density urban blocks bordered by the grid street pattern have developed. Roughly the size of 260 feet by 200ft, each urban block had about 30 narrow lots in the block. Each lot’s typical street frontage is only 16 feet, and the depth is about 90 feet. Typically two-story townhouses containing a few small courtyards were built closely in the block.

VITAL TOWNHOUSE COMMUNITYThe population density of typical townhouse block was about 300/hectare. This is equal to 77,700/square mile, which is about 3 times more than that of New York City. The townhouses typically are live/work buildings that accommodate various commercial or manufacturing uses in addition to residential use. The streets are narrow, typically 23 foot wide, and serve as intimate community space for residents who live on both sides. It is a space where residents interact, socialize, and hold community events such as festivals.

Kyoto’s original street grid pattern shown in red A diagram showing typical townhouse block configuration & street grid. Sample street view of townhouse block

Roof plan of a townhouse neighborhood

Ground floor plan of the townhouse neighborhood

Street view of a townhouse neighborhood Festival on a streeta townhouse facade

Sprinkling water on the street for ‘passive cooling’ effect during summer.

a detailed townhouse ground floor plan townhouse longitudinal section diagram townhouse cross section diagram small courtyard view from dwelling space

courtyard view from dwelling space

Reference Source: Kyoto Townhouse (“Kyo-no-Machiya”) by Noboru Shimanura & Yuikio Suzuka, SD publishing

You Are The Environment.

Minimum Material Possessions Carrying one’s own dining utensilsA trainee monk have nothing but the bare essential personal belongings: That is, clothing and dining utensils. As to accommodation, each monk is provided only one tatami mat size (3ft x 6ft) personal space in a dormitory setting and that’s where they sleep and spend a bit of personal time at the end of the day.

Vegan FoodFood is Medicine for LifeStrictly vegan foods are served. Ingredients & cooking utensils are “handled with as much care as if you were handling your own eyeballs.”Food is considered to be a medication that protects your body from withering. Therefore it should be taken in a right portion, and does not have to be always delicious.Each monk uses his/her own utensils for dining. While dining, no speech is allowed. This would enable us to appreciate the taste of food and also to think of the whole supply chain & its environment; the land, water, sunlight, and the people.

Water ConservationWater is a precious resource for life. After meal, each monk immediately cleans his/her own utensils elegantly with a small volume of water provided. In every morning, just a bowl of water is supplied for a monk to wash face, head, ear, and mouth.

Sustainable Architecture Tradition in Japan

03. Ambient Green Culture

Zen influenced architecture, the arts, and even people’s behaviors in Japan.A Zen master Dogen founded Soto Zen sect in the 13th century. He left words valuable for our time. “ ...To study the self is to forget the self, and forget the self is to be made real by the myriad things. When made real by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly.” -excerpt from Genjo Koan.

Every action in our daily life is regarded as part of Zen practice. Not only meditation, but cooking, dining, cleaning, bathing, walking, greeting, ...all actions we take every day. It is believed having this perspective enables us to live well as human beings. For more than 700 years in Eiheiji, the temple founded by Dogen, the monks’s lives are disciplined by this philosophy.

Environmentally Conscious. Every Day.

Photos of Eiheiji

Dogen 1200-1253

Reference Source: Super Premium Magazine SERAI, July 5th 2007 issue & Eiheiji booklet “ Message from Dogen Zenji”

1. Surplice2. Belt3. Set of stackable bowl, cup, and dish4. Lacquered wooden board5. Foldable dining lacquered paper tray6. Dish wiper, chopsticks, and spoon