Materials from the landscape

Satoyama: connections among woods, fields and settlements

Bamboo: growth, structure and material uses

Gassho-zukuri: a working attic beneath a steep roof

Gassho-zukuri farmhouses in Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama have steep thatched gable roofs. Their attics once provided space for raising silkworms, linking the roof’s form to household production as well as snow.

Bamboo basketry: preparing strips and building form

Bamboo basketry interlaces prepared strips into objects. Strip thickness, width and the pattern of crossings shape the result. A documented Beppu flower-basket process shows how material preparation leads into three-dimensional weaving.

Sugi: recognising a tree, understanding a forest

Sugi, Cryptomeria japonica, is an evergreen conifer in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. Its common English name, Japanese cedar, does not place it in Cedrus, the genus of true cedars.

Snow country: weather, streets and everyday life

Minka

Traditional dwellings whose structure and spaces vary with place, livelihood and period.

Giving omiyage: from a journey to a recipient

Giving omiyage means bringing something obtained on a journey to friends, family or other recipients. Food, useful objects and local crafts can all serve. The destination matters alongside transport, sharing and the recipient’s needs.

Cultural-property protection: read the exact label

Japan protects several kinds of cultural property, including tangible and intangible heritage, folk traditions, monuments, landscapes and groups of buildings. Designation, registration and selection are distinct mechanisms, not interchangeable awards.