The rooms completely covered with tatami mats, named zashiki, appeared in Japan about 700 years ago. Originally this type of interior was used at the guest rooms in the samurai residences or for the temple guest halls and abbot’s quarters.

The zashiki room style became popular in the Edo period, being used in merchants townhouses (machiya) and farmhouses. Of course, it also remained used for samurai residences, such as the one photographed here, the Ishiguro residence in Kakunodate, Akita.

Ishiguro Samurai House, Kakunodate, Akita

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Kyoto Shimabara Wachigaiya