Ryokuchi Koen Buildings

In addition to the Gassho Zukuri buildings shown on the previous page, there are numerous additional building styles represented in this open air museum. Each is a response to its local climate and other functional demands, not just of aesthetics. So in the example on the bottom row you can see straw matting placed directly onto the mud subfloor, not (just) because it was significantly cheaper than constructing a suspended floor of timber, but because it tended to be warmer and more draught free in winter.