Traditional
nihon-kaoku basically are made of wood and paper. Rooms are raised 20 to
30 cm above the ground, flooring
rush mats cover floors of wooden boarding, and paper
sliding doors and sliding
paper screens are used as partitions. These are paper glued on wooden
frames. Inside and outside are strictly separated; one never goes inside
with shoes on.
Transoms are built above the partitions between rooms for ventilation and lighting and ordinarily are done with decorative lattices and openwork.
Tokonoma is about the size of about one or a half tatami mat and is set into a wall of a Japanese-style room. It is the place to put up scrolls or display flower arrangements. Its floor is made of wood and is a step higher than the rest of the room. In the past, it was a place where divinities were worshiped, but from the Muromachi(1392-1573) and the Azuchi-Momoyama Period(1573-1603) on it became a standard built-in feature with a decorative purpose. Recently, however in the average residence, there are many floor plans without tokonoma.
Tatami have been used since the Heian Period(794-1185), when they were laid out only for sitting. From the time of the Muromachi Period(1392-1573), they were used to cover the whole floor. A tatami mat is made of straw bundled in layers which are stitched together, and the surface is covered with tightly woven rushes. One tatami mat measures about 90Å~180 cm(about 3'Å~6'), and the size of a Japanese room is expressed by its number of tatami mats. It is worthy of note that Japanese customarily avoid stepping on the edge of a tatami mat, because that will hasten its wear and tear.
There are two kinds of futon; mats to sleep on and quilts to be covered with. Futon are filled with cotton or feathers. Mats to sleep on, like a bed mattress, are covered by sheets, while quilts to be covered with are used as coverings with blankets. Since Japan is quite humid, futon are hung out on nice days to air in the sun. Futon which can be put in a closet when not being used are practical bedding for small Japanese rooms.
Zabuton are Japanese-made cushions used when sitting on flooring rush mats. Square in shape, they are just large enough for one person. They are usually filled with cotton. Coverings of zabuton are finished in cloth with all sorts of patterns and pictures, but in summer, a kind of coverings preferred is woven with rushes which is cool to the touch and creates good ventilation.
Seiza is the proper way to sit on tatami mats and is always practiced on such formal occasions as tea ceremony. Since the legs are folded under so that the body rests on the heels, people who are not accustomed to it probably feel that doing seiza for a long time is painful. However, when doing seiza the central line of the body from the head down the spine is perpendicular to the floor, so one can maintain a well-balanced posture. When sitting on tatami mats, it is good for the body to sit that way.
In contrast to sitting straight, the relaxed way of sitting is agura. Starting with legs out straight and folding them in like triangles is called "sitting cross-legged." Men often sit this way, but it is ill-mannered for women to do so. Relaxed sitting posture for women is generally to maintain the sitting straight with knees together but with the feet just off to the side.
Shoji are sliding doors with fine wood latticework built into a rectangular wooden frame and pasted with Japanese paper. They serve as entry and exit for rooms, are used as room partitions, and can be installed in windows. With respect to lighting, even when shoji are closed, soft light flows through the Japanese paper. They are invariably seen in typical Japanese houses but are becoming scarce as more residences become westernized.