Nowadays, many people live in urban apartment complex. Some of them say that they want to reside in old thatch house, if it is possible.

　However, I think erstwhile thatch house is iconic image of gloomy and miserable life in Japan before the WWⅡ. The apartment complex must be the place escapes from the gloom and the misery. There must be designed bright, convenient and cultural place more than old folk house.

　The difference between the apartment and the folk house is contrastive and interesting such as components, structure and construction methods. Especially, it is housing content and way of the life.

　It seems that the fault of modern house is similarity due to industrial products. In other words, there are no natural features of a region.
　In contrast, Japanese traditional folk house (Minka) is in various ways because they depend on the climate such as Gassho-zukuri, Kabuto-zukuri and so on.
As you know, one of the most famous folk house in Japan, Gassho-zukuri, in Shirakawa-go, is developed because of heavy snow fall region.

　The Matsumoto Basin I live in is not too large and there is Honmune-zukuri.
It has a huge gable roof. The residence has a variety of roof materials and disposition of the entrance among narrow area. In deed it is very diverse.
　Japanese old folk house is the same one doesn't exist with two because the timber from the nearest mountains and the natural components are from the community. Besides, the process of the components is by handcraft. As a result, each house is completely different.

　Above of all, I figure out why people living standard space in urban area want the folk thatch house and they prefer natural elegance and the warmth of the wood.
　It seems the time has come to be reconsidered the attraction lurks in dark, incommode and old folk houses.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hironobu FURIHATA