The traditional Japanese house is made from natural materials only: the walls are made of wood and paper, while the tatami mats are made of rice straw. And the roof is no exception, being made of various kinds of grass, reeds and straw.

Thatched roofs are used throughout the world, but in the traditional Japanese house they have a very unique role: as I explained a few months ago, for cooking and heating is used an irori and since there is no chimney, the role of cleaning the air is fulfilled by… the straw roof, which acts as a giant smoke filter.

Farmhouse of Tenmyo Family, Edo Tokyo Open Air Museum

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: The Japanese umbrella