Day 40: Tatami and Shoji Screens

There is nothing like the smell of fresh tatami. It is correct to say Tatami, not tatami mat as Tatami IS a mat (That's like saying a Koala bear)

Rooms can be opened up fr more space and the 'walls'  disappear

A tatami is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core (though nowadays sometimes the core is composed of compressed wood chip boards boards or ploystyrene foam), with a covering of woven soft rush, tatami are made in uniform sizes. Usually, on the long sides, they have edging (heri) of brocade or plain cloth.

A tea House in Tokyo

Rooms always come ina  combination of 4.5,  5 or 8 mats, Rules govern the layout and an inauspicious layout is said to bring bad fortune. In homes, the mats must not be laid in a grid pattern, and in any layout there is never a point where the corners of four mats touch.

 I love the look of light filtering through the screen

In traditional Japanese architecture, a shōji is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood which holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo While washi is the traditional paper, shōji may be made of paper made by modern manufacturing processes; plastic is also in use.

Beautiful detail on a screen in an old hotel

Shōji doors are designed to slide open, and thus conserve space that would be required by a swinging door. They are used in traditional houses as well as Western-style housing, especially in the Japanese-style room. In modern construction, the shōji does not form the exterior surface of the building; it sits inside a sliding glass door or window.

Futon  (means whole bedding) with the quilt and protector

Lots of private homes I visited were western design but with a 'Japanese Style' room where futon were laid out for sleep for extra guests

Day 39 Dishes

Many Japanese restaurants serve one type of food in a few variations. Tonkatsu, Soba, Sushi, Donburi etc  They have developed a system of varied dishes that suit the courses on offer and these are usually stacked in colourful shelves behind the counter.

Dishes for sauce,  rice, sake, soup etc

The pestle is birch wood and grooves make crushing easier

Some restaurants have  a signature style. This bowl is for us to crush the seeds to add to the rice rather than serving it on the rice.

Day 37 Restaurants

While I love the food in Japan the elements of the cafe or Restaurant hold great appeal.

This Gyoza place had a machine that listed the dishes. You  bought a ticket and gave it in at the counter

From the loud greetings of "Irrashaimase" as you enter, to the picture menus, the efficient and polite and understanding staff to the food itself, it is all a great experience.

There are many 'chain' restaurants that serve only one type of food. Tonkatsu, ebi tendon, gyoza, etc Service is quick and efficient as all food is prepared the same (freshly) and in set bowls and plates. A speedy way to serve millions of people!
Tonkatsu restaurants are one of my favourite Fried crumbed Pork served with rice, salad, pickle and tea (usually all for $10) Sushi places abound even can find the 'sushi train'

the Chef at work in the tiny bar type shop

Okonomikayi

A fabulous Okonomiyaki (omelet sort of thing)
Some places look like they would be very expensive so one enters with some trepidation.
This one in Kyoto that Celia and tried ended up costing us $22 each, but what an atmosphere and a meal!

In a small street we spotted this one

Little Japanese or English passed between us but the universal message of 'What do you recommend " was a winner.

Tempura

Day 36

I have been preparing a slide show for a presentation  at U3A , University of the 3rd Age, for Wendy who is program co-ordinator or secretary or something equally energetic. It is titled The Appeal of Japan and as I was browsing my blog and photos from 2008, I realised  (again) that  I had never finished my 60 Days of Celebration.

This was  a daily blog of an item, place, event, icon that appealed to me about Japan. The 60 was to celebrate my 60th birthday. But as I came home suddenly in October I stopped at day 35.

So I thought I might do the last 25 over the next month or so.

WOOD

Japan has huge plantations of cedar ( cryptomeria or sugi ) but with a decline in use of wood as a building material, demand fell so did prices so many workers in the forestry area moved away. Nearly all of the wood used in Japan is imported despite huge areas of forest covering 67% of Japan.

detail of carving on a Shoji screen in hotel room

fine detail on Inn gate

Huge gate posts at Meiji Shrine

An increasing demand by craft men to maintain past traditions of woodwork has meant an upsurge in interest in the wood and forests are being used again even for large pieces of furniture. 

Maybe not as big as these doors though!!

At a studio workshop  near Takayama called Oak Village Tadashi Inamoto works and developed some wonderful furniture all from two HUGE Zelkova tree that needed to be removed from the site of an old Sake brewery. Their work was inspired by a 'Living national Treasure Tatsuaki Kuroda, a reclusive worker but whose style influenced many. 

Kuroda's bench seat

There is nothing like the feel of your feet moving over smooth cool wooden floors !