Minka

[1] This connotation no longer exists in the modern Japanese language, and any traditional Japanese-style residence of appropriate age could be referred to as Minka.

Minka come in a wide range of styles and sizes, largely as a result of differing geographic and climatic conditions as well as the lifestyle of the inhabitants.

[2] Unlike other forms of Japanese architecture (such as those of the sukiya (数寄屋) style), it is the structure rather than the plan that is of primary importance to the minka.

[4] Despite the wide variety of minka, there are eight basic forms: The odachi style has rafters, crossbeams and short vertical posts to support the ridge.

[11] The sasu style is a simpler triangular shape with a pair of rafters joined at the top to support the ridge pole.

[12] The kyoma method works well for minka without central columns as the mats and the sliding partitions (fusuma (襖) and shōji (障子)) can be based on a standard size.

When miscanthus reeds were difficult to obtain for thatched roofs, shingles were used instead; in volcanic areas rushes or boards were used instead of clay for the walls.

For thatched roof minka the number of crossed wooden members (umanori (馬乗り)) or bundles of miscanthus reeds along the ridge are a good indicator of the importance of the owner's status in the village.

The udatsu inherited the function of a fire break, but initially it was a method of establishing the extent of ownership in long terraces of row houses.

[18] During the evolution of minka, the machiya townhouses gradually changed its construction away from perishable and flammable materials to those of a more durable nature.

[19] Minka owned by people of a higher social status began to incorporate elements of the shoin style, particularly in living rooms.

[25] Large farmhouses sometimes had a raised, timber-floored internal veranda (hiroshiki (広敷)) that separated the doma and the tatami areas.

[32] The upper floors of the two- and three-story houses are used for sericulture, with storage space for trays of silkworms and mulberry leaves.

[33] Honmune-zukuri (本棟造) literally means "true ridge": The style has a nearly square plan with a gabled roof that is board covered.

The tremendous regional variation of minka has also been preserved in open-air museums such as Nihon Minka-en in Kawasaki, where examples from around Japan are on display.

One minka that belonged to the Yonezu family was acquired by the JMRA and donated to Kew Gardens as part of the Japan 2001 Festival.