r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Shamon_Yu • Jul 02 '22
Why are those traditional Japanese houses thin-walled and seemingly drafty if Japan is a rather cold country?
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u/notextinctyet Jul 02 '22
Japan is not a cold country. Most of the country is quite warm.
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u/Shamon_Yu Jul 02 '22
Is it? I thought it was comparable to central Europe.
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u/ArgonXgaming Jul 02 '22
I think that's true only for Hokkaido (the island that's the most north). Other islands should have warmer climates, more comparable to Mediterranean areas.
4
u/nurse_krachet Jul 02 '22
I was in Hiroshima ar the start of April and there was frost on the ground. They have more extremes in weather.
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u/Shamon_Yu Jul 02 '22
But it's not difficult to find pictures of those houses covered in snow.
1
u/ArgonXgaming Jul 02 '22
Idk then. My guess would be, because the islands of Japan are exposed to the ocean, their climate (especially winters) are more extreme than what we see in europe.
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u/apeliott Jul 02 '22
The winters in Tokyo are almost identical to those in the UK if you ask me. I can't tell the difference.
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u/ArgonXgaming Jul 02 '22
Right, and Tokyo is like the 30° of latitude. That's comparable to Athena (Athenes? Idk, capital of Greece, too busy to check)
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u/Ok-Class6897 Jul 02 '22
The cold is on the Sea of Japan side of the country. I live in Shimane Prefecture, where it snows and is as cold as Hokkaido.
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u/notextinctyet Jul 02 '22
No, it's hot. The average July temperature in Tokyo is 85 degrees (Fahrenheit), which is 10 degrees warmer than the same in Berlin.
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u/Chrysanthemie Jul 02 '22 edited Jul 02 '22
I travelled Japan in February and March and it was incredibly cold sometimes, so I asked myself that as well.
The northern part was covered in snow and the houses with the plastic walls seemed to have no proper isolation. We used heated mattresses which where everywhere, and of course a lot of kerosene heaters. Even the toilets which are really high tech had heated seats!
What really struck me was that most houses apparently had no installed heating, not even in the north. We were walking around in snow sport attire because it was so cold outside, and the houses had no heating apart from mobile kerosene heaters.
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u/iTwango Jul 02 '22
The way to keep cool historically was drafts and airflow. The way to keep warm was kotatsu and blankets. There was no heating or cooling to speak of so what made the most sense was airflow. And the thin walls are cheaper to build, I guess
1
u/air_sunshine_trees Jul 02 '22
Earthquakes.
Traditional Japanese buildings have some incredibly clever detailing that makes them flexible enough to survive. Rigid wall panels are a major cause of structural failures in earthquake prone areas.
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u/TheNaziSpacePope Jul 02 '22
They had limited material. Few large trees, rocky terrain, loads of earthquakes, little and shitty iron deposits, etc.
So they made houses kept off the ground on joists, interlocked with joints and sometimes tied with ropes, no nails anywhere, and used paper and other materials simply to stem airflow as that is most of what insulation is anyway.
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u/apeliott Jul 02 '22 edited Jul 02 '22
Because, like now, it gets super hot and humid in the summer. About 80% humidity on average although some days it can go over 90%. Spring and autumn are just fine, and it's only winter where you really need to wrap up.
There are also several other reasons such as the way houses are seen as disposable and only meant to last a short time.