Culture Cues: Little House in the Big City

Old Style

In Kyoto we are staying in a rented house of the old traditional Japanese style. In this case it means small, cute, single-panel, stark. The whole edifice is about 13 by 20 feet, with two floors. The construction is wood, but not insulated. The windows have screens, then a pane of glass, with sliding covers of stiff paper in wood  frames. 

The first half of this building is where we are abiding.

The view to the neighbors from upstairs.

The spaces consist of a tiny closed entry with gravel and stepping stones, leading to the tiny interior entry where one exchanges shoes for slippers, to go into the main living area. This is a multipurpose room for living, dining,  and cooking and laundry. The latter two functional areas are along one wall and can be hidden behind a set of sliding doors.

Living/dining room:

Kitchen with laundry machine to the right behind panel.

The living dining area has a low table with half chairs on the floor and a heated hole beneath for warming ones feet. This is where we do our work, too. There are no other chairs, tables, or furniture except a low chest/cabinet for electronics.

In separate little spaces are a toilet off the entry, and in the rear of the lives no room/house a wash room with sink, and a separate bath /shower area.

Up the narrow staircase is first a mostly empty room with mats and a low cabinet, to be used for sleeping for extra people, and a tiny bedroom, with an "art alcove" and a bit of loft above. On one wall is a closet to hold futons and bedding. No where is a closet for clothes or any rods or any hooks to hang anything (except a single towel ring in the wash area). Nothing is on the walls.

But it is adequate and we cooked our first meals here today, after going grocery shopping.

So, how would you find baking powder in a Japanese grocery store? I looked up the word, copied the Jspanese characters, showed them to an old man stocking shelves. He read them and said something close to "baking powder" - but not exactly, because they have no r sound - then took me over to a woman Stockist I hadn't seen, who read my little paper and took me to the right shelf with a little bow. Arigato. Now we can make pancakes.

Supper:

The weather here has been unseasonably mild. The trees are just starting to turn colors. The layers of warm clothes I brought are not necessary, yet.

To follow: our Sunday excursion.