Differences between the construction of India and Japan

§  Construction in any place is associated with the local weather and soil conditions predominantly.

§  The architecture depicts the culture of the region, which the people of that particular area held dear to their hearts.

§  Architecture, after all, is a mirror of society’s beliefs and customs.

§  The construction technology employed in a particular area has been developed locally.

§   It has evolved after years of consideration, experiments which resulted in people realizing what works best, the kind of problems that would be faced, how to overcome them.

§  That’s the reason why construction within even a country varies so much from one place to another.

§  So when we talk about the construction of two countries like India and Japan, which are in different geographical locations, have different climates, rich cultures, and traditions then it is to be expected that there would be many differences in the construction of both countries.

§  Let us explore some of these differences in this article.

Ø  Material:

§  In Japan houses made of timber are predominant.

§  A major factor for this is Japan lying in a very active seismic zone.

§  In India the materials which are used are RCC concrete for the most part.

§  Thus the different geographical and climatic conditions have influenced the use of building materials in the two countries.

       Ø  Ceiling:

§  Japanese architectures have a large space between floors and ground.

§  There is a room between the floor and ground and between the main rooms and ceilings something akin to basement and attic.

§  It is a very necessary precaution for the extremely humid summer of Japan and to protect the wood from getting rotten.

§  The buildings in Japan have higher ceilings. In India, this is not the case.

       Ø  Structure:

§  Japanese builders have mastered the art of timber construction and the techniques they use are passed on to newer generations.

§  They build with timber without the use of bolts, screws, and nails, thus making the structure stronger.

§  They use wood joints to build structures and furniture.

§  In India, when we talk about timber construction, we use nails, bolts, and screws these days.

§  Also, Japanese traditional architecture avoids heavy density of materials, instead of light and strong materials and structures.

       Ø  Windows:

§  In India windows had wooden shutters whereas, in Japan, the windows have a wooden frame and white paper.

§  These partitions were also used as room separators.

§  In Indian palaces, the windows even had intricate jali work with stone at times. Sometimes the window was just cut into the stone.

Ø  Floor:

§  In India we had mud floors, followed by stone flooring.

§  Till recent time mosaic flooring was also used.

§  In Japan the famous Tatami floor keeps the room not too dry and too moist.

§  It also adds to the space feeling more serene.

       Ø  Temples:

§  The traditional Japanese temple structure or the ‘pagoda’ is very different from traditional temples in India.

§  The Japanese pagoda is made from wood, to begin with, whereas in India the traditional building material has been stone.