A kominka (古民家, old house) is a term used to describe a traditional Japanese house that encompasses a broad range of dwelling types. The term kominka, as opposed to minka (民家), is usually used when the house is over 100 years old; minka is used when the house is not as old but displays traditional Japanese architectural features.[1]
Construction
Kominka were built to last for several generations.[1] They are build out of wood, with thatched roofs, and largely lack insulation.[2]
Present day
Vacant kominka are referred to as akiya kominka (空き家古民家) and are a growing social issue in Japan. Japan has the highest percentage of vacant housing stock among OECD countries and more and more of vacant housing stock are kominka in rural or semi-rural areas.[1][2] A number of akiya kominka have been turned into art studios or permanent installations as part of festivals such as the Setouchi Triennale.
References
- ^ a b c Platz, Anemone (2024-01-02). "From social issue to art site and beyond – reassessing rural akiya kominka". Contemporary Japan. 36 (1): 41–56. doi:10.1080/18692729.2024.2314331. ISSN 1869-2729.
- ^ a b Shrestha, Aakriti; Shimizu, Takafumi (November 2024). "Thermal performance assessment of traditional Japanese wooden houses with short-term measurements: Machine learning approaches". Journal of Building Engineering. 97: 110954. doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110954.