646 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the ceremonial tea-parties take place. High fences, either of board 

 or bamboo, or solid walls of mud or tile with stone foundations, sur- 

 round the house or inclose it from the street. Low rustic fences bor- 

 der the gardens in the suburbs. Gateways of various styles, some of 

 imposing design, form the entrances ; as a general thing they are 

 either rustic and light, or formal and massive. 



Whatever is commonplace in the appearance of the house is toward 

 the street, while the artistic and picturesque face is turned toward the 

 garden, which may be at one side or in the i-ear of the house — usually 

 in the rear. Within these plain and unpretentious houses there are 

 often to be seen marvels of exquisite carving and the perfection of 

 cabinet work ; and surprise follows surprise as one becomes more 

 fully acquainted with the interior finish of these curious and remark- 

 able dwellings. 



The framework of an ordinary Japanese dwelling is simple and 

 primitive in structure ; it consists of a number of upright beams which 

 run from the ground to the transverse beams and inclines of the roof 

 above. The vertical framing is held together either by short strips, 

 which are let into appropriate notches in the uprights to which the 

 bamboo lathing is fixed, or by longer strips of wood, which pass 



Fio. 2.— PoDNDrNO DOWN Focxdation-Stoneb. 



through mortises in the uprights, and are firmly keyed or pinned into 

 place (Fig. 1). In larger houses these uprights are held in position by 

 a framework near the ground. There is no cellar or excavation be- 

 neath the house, nor is there a continuous stone foundation as with us. 

 The uprights rest directly, and without attachment, upon single uncut 



