I think it’s time I described what an “old building” might look like. There were lots of examples here. These buildings are all wood construction and so close together they actually share the wall with the building next-door. You can tell the shop is open because they hang one of the fabric banners across it – if it’s not hanging outside, the shop is probably closed (of course an open door is also a good sign). (The banner is really common for restaurants even now). The door-way is almost always a shoji screen – the traditional Japanese sliding door with the small squares and rice paper on it. You come into what was once the genkan – the entrance-way where you would have removed your shoes before entering. Some places still have you remove your shoes. The genkan is generally some kind of decorative rock or stone, though it might have been wood or packed dirt at one time. There is generally a 2nd door into the actual shop itself.
The inside of the building is generally very dark wood. The original homes or shops would have had a fire pit inside, with the resulting smoke staining everything dark. Of course it also served the purpose of keeping the bugs out of stuff, thus preserving the wood, though I’m sure the lungs didn’t care for it too much. Generally, you can look up and see the rafters above, though some do have ceilings. Windows and internal doors in the buildings were also covered with the shoji screens. Some buildings include a small, internal garden, complete with the shoji around them. They would have been a place to relax and bring “nature” into the house. Some are quite wonderful to see.
Outside the buildings, some creative signage was included. Our favorite was a rather large ball of pine needles hanging outside that meant it was a brewery – generally sake. What the connection was is beyond me. Some had small shrines nestled just above the door – though it would have been quite a climb to have gotten it up there.
Since we’re already part way up to the roof, I might as well go there next. Most of these shops have ceramic tile roofs. Shingles were commonly used prior to the tile. In extreme cold, the tiles would crack, but the addition of zinc (I believe it was) solved the problem. Obviously, tile was a big improvement over the fire difficulties with wooden shingles. Fire was a constant threat to these old homes.
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