Daidokoro (台所;lit. "kitchen") is the place where food is prepared in a Japanese house. Until the Meiji era, a kitchen was also called kamado (かまど; lit. stove) and there are many sayings in the Japanese language that involve kamado as it was considered the symbol of a house and the term could even be used to mean "family" or "household". When separating a family, it was called Kamado wo wakeru, which literally means "divide the stove". Kamado wo yaburu (lit. "break the stove") means that the family was broke. A kitchen is a room used for food preparation. ... Hearth in a traditional Japanese house This building is public housing provided by the government of Tokyo. ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Meiji period (Japanese: Meiji Jidai 明治時代 ) (1868–1912... A stove is a heat-producing device. ... Japanese (Japanese: 日本語; â–¶ (help· info)) is a language spoken by over 127 million people, mainly in Japan, but also by Japanese emigrant communities around the world. ...

Early history

In the Jōmon period ( 10,000 BC to 300 BC), people gathered to form villages, where they lived in shallow pit dwellings. These simple huts were measured between 10 to 30 square meters and had a hearth in the center. Early stoves were nothing more than a shallow pit (jikaro 地床炉), but they were soon surrounded by stones to catch the fire sparks. A clay vase with its bottom cracked soon replaced the stones as these became hot quickly and occupants had to be careful around a stove. This type of stove is called Umigamero (埋甕炉; lit. "buried vase stove"). As the stove became safer, it was moved from the center of house to the side, and finally, by the late Kofun period (6th century), almost all houses had a stove at one end of the house. Some rich families in the Kofun period built a separate house where cooking was done. In these houses, food was stored in sacks and pots in a hole dug on the floor. Houses were constructed near a river or a spring for easy access to water. The Jomon period (Japanese: 縄文時代 Jōmon-jidai) is the time in Japanese history from about 10,000 BC to 300 BC. Most scholars agree that by around 40,000 BC glaciation had connected the islands with the mainland. ... (Pleistocene, Paleolithic – 10th millennium BC – 9th millennium BC – other millennia) Beginning of the Mesolithic, or Epipaleolithic time period, which is the first part of the Holocene epoch. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC - 300s BC - 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC Years: 305 BC 304 BC 303 BC 302 BC 301 BC - 300 BC - 299 BC 298 BC... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... In common historic and modern usage, a hearth is a brick- or stone-lined fireplace or oven used for cooking and/or heating. ... Kofun period (Japanese: 古墳時代, Kofun-jidai) is an era in the history of Japan from around AD 250 to 538. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ...

In the Yayoi period (300 BC to AD 250) the cultivation of rice became widespread, and villages would be constructed near a marsh and a lowland. The water was muddy and Asaido (浅井戸) were constructed. An asaido was filled with sand and pebbles through which the water flowed to filter out mud and larger organisms. Some villages stored food outside a house in a large storehouse. The Yayoi period (Japanese: 弥生時代, Yayoi-jidai) is an era in Japan from 300 BC to AD 250. ... Events Diophantus writes Arithmetica the first systematic treatise on algebra. ...

By the Nara period in the 8th century, the kitchen had reached a certain level of perfection and basically remained unchanged for over 600 years until the Muromachi period (1336–1573). Kitchens were furnished with the following items: The Nara period (Japanese: 奈良時代, Nara-jidai) of the History of Japan covers the years from about AD 710 to 794. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... A kitchen is a room used for food preparation. ... [[ == The Muromachi period (Japanese: 室町時代, Muromachi-jidai, also known as the Muromachi era, the Muromachi bakufu, the Ashikaga era, the Ashikaga period, or the Ashikaga bakufu) is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. ... Events End of the Kemmu restoration and beginning of the Muromachi period in Japan. ... Events January - articles of Warsaw Confederation signed, sanctioning religious freedom in Poland. ...

• Ashikanahe or Ashimarokanahe (足釜) - A three- or four-legged iron pot.
• Kakekanahe or Kakemarokanahe (懸釜) - A iron pot that was fitted over a stove. It had a "fringe" that let it hang on the stove and was used to boil cook rice into kayu.
• Yukikamado (行竈) - A pot with a stove attached that could be carried around
• Koshiki (橧 or 甑) - A wooden basket placed on top of a pot to steam cook rice.
• Nabe (堝 or 鍋) - existed both made of clay and of metal. Primarily used to make stews and a sidedish as well as to boil water.
• Sashinabe (佐志奈閇) - A small pot with a long handle used to warm sake in a bottle.
• Hiraka or Hotogi (瓫) - A large clay pot larger than a nabe used to boil water.
• Kamado - Also called Tsukikamado (築竈): the stove itself, constructed with stones, tiles, and clay.
• Karakamado (韓竈) - A set of koshiki, kanahe (釜), and kamado that can be carried around.
• Takigi (薪) - In the Nara period, "薪" was read as "takigi" and not as "maki". Dried wood was used as fuel.
• Oke (麻筒) - A tub or a pail in three sizes; large, medium, and small. A flat bottomed and shallow tub was also used.
• Syaku (杓) - Also read as Hisago. A wooden ladle used to scoop cold and hot water from an oke.
• Katana (刀子) - A cooking knife and not a katana.
• Kiritsukue or Sekki (切机) - A Manaita (俎) or a cutting board.
• Fune (船) - A large wooden tub used for washing.
• Shitami (籮) - A coarse hemp cloth used to squeeze water out or to dry foods by spreading over it.
• Kame (甕) - A large vase where foods were stored.

In the Heian period (794–1185), the first usage of the word which became "Daidokoro" was recorded. The imperial palace of Heian had four rooms dedicated to preparing foods, Oni no ma (鬼の間), Daibandokoro (台盤所), Asagarei no ma (朝餉の間), and Ooidono (大炊殿). "Oni no ma" was the room used for checking for poison and tasting before serving. "Asagarei no ma" was the room for eating breakfast. "Ooidono" was the room to cook foods and was placed to the north and as far away as possible from living quarters. "Daibandokoro" was the room used to serve foods onto an individual Daiban (台盤), a lacquered wooden table. Maid servants also ate and waited to serve meals in the Daibandokoro. The original meaning of "Daidokoro" was not a kitchen but a pantry. KAYU (Fox 28) is the Fox television affiliate for Spokane, Washington. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Quaternary clay in Estonia. ... Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily forms ions (cations) and has metallic bonds, and metals are sometimes described as a lattice of positive ions (cations) in a cloud of electrons. ... Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine Sake (é…’; pronounced IPA: SAH-KEH in Japanese, but often IPA: SAH-ki by English speakers) is a Japanese alcoholic beverage, brewed from rice. ... It has been suggested that knifemaking be merged into this article or section. ... Katana of the 16th or 17th Century, with its saya. ... The Heian period (Japanese: 平安時代, Heian-jidai) is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. ... Events Kyoto becomes the Japanese capital. ... Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... Oni may refer to: Oni (Japanese folklore) (鬼) are the demons and ogres of Japanese folklore. ...

In the Kamakura period (1185–1333), as the Shoinzukuri style of housing became common, the kitchen was gradually absorbed into a house. Until then, a kitchen was built as a separate house whenever possible to avoid smells and smokes as well as fire from burning down the house where they lived. A kitchen of the Kamakura period was under the same roof as other rooms of a house. Yet, one would not see an essential kitchen furnishing, a sink or even a well in a kitchen. The Kamakura period (Japanese: 鎌倉時代, Kamakura-jidai; 1185–1333) is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance of the Kamakura Shogunate; officially established in 1192 by the first Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. ... Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... Events End of the Kamakura period and beginning of the Kemmu restoration in Japan. ...

Fire and water

Stoves

A kamado in a traditional Japanese kitchen.

The earliest dwellings in Japan used an open fire hearth for cooking. The first stove was recorded in the Kofun period (3rd to 6th century). These stoves, called kamado (かまど) were typically made of clay and sand; they were fired through a hole in the front and had a hole in the top, into which a pot could be hanged by its rim. This type of stove remained in use for centuries to come, with only minor modifications. In the 14th century in the Muromachi period, stoves with two holes was recorded in drawings, and by the early 17th century, the beginning of the Edo period, large stoves with several cooking holes were common in the kitchens of the upper class house as well as in a large restaurant. It is believed these multiple hole types appeared earlier than recorded but was omitted from previous drawings because a single hole stove was enough to show that food was cooked there. The stove was generally not very high, cooks had to squat in order to cook. In the larger kitchens, especially those of places and temples, raised kamado were developed that could be operated while standing up during the Edo period (1603–1867). Download high resolution version (1024x683, 342 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1024x683, 342 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... In common historic and modern usage, a hearth is a brick- or stone-lined fireplace or oven used for cooking and/or heating. ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei Kofun is an era in the history of Japan... // Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... [[ == The Muromachi period (Japanese: 室町時代, Muromachi-jidai, also known as the Muromachi era, the Muromachi bakufu, the Ashikaga era, the Ashikaga period, or the Ashikaga bakufu) is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The Edo period (Japanese: 江戸時代, Edo-jidai), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1600 to 1867. ... The Edo period (Japanese: 江戸時代, Edo-jidai), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1600 to 1867. ... King James I of England/VII of Scotland, the first monarch to rule the Kingdoms of England and Scotland at the same time Events March 24 - Elizabeth I of England dies and is succeeded by her cousin King James I of Scotland, uniting the crowns of Scotland and England April... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Irori (囲炉裏) appeared in Kofun period and it served as a secondary stove. A section of a floor was removed of its wooden panels and a lacquered square wooden frame was fitted in the place. Then it was filled with sand and an iron hook was lowered from the ceiling. Foods were reheated or cooked over a fire in an iron pot hang from the hook and it served as a heat source. This type of stove became common in many homes by early Nara period and a smaller irori is the center piece of a tea house. Yugao-tei, Kanazawa A tea house (茶室, cha-shitsu) is a structure designed for holding Japanese tea ceremonies. ...

A third type of stove, a hibachi (火鉢) lit. "fire pot", appeared as late as early Heian period and it is most likely to have been used earlier. A hibachi is a deep small pot half filled with sand and ash and a small fire was started in the pot. It was used to as a heating equipment with a maximum safety. It could be used to cook small morsels of food.

Water

Fire was a part of a kitchen from the start but water was late in becoming a part of a kitchen.

In the Yayoi period (300BC to A.D.250) the cultivation of rice became widespread, and villages would be constructed near a marsh and a lowland. The water was muddy and Asaido (浅井戸) lit. shallow well, were constructed. An asaido was filled with sand and pebbles through which the water flowed to filter out mud and larger organisms. A deeper well was also dug and sometimes a log with its innard chipped away was used to prevent a collapse. A pot was used to scoop water. The Yayoi period (Japanese: 弥生時代, Yayoi-jidai) is an era in Japan from 300 BC to AD 250. ...

It was not long before people started improving on these primitive wells. The area around a well was tiled with stones, then Fune (水船) was invented. Wooden or bamboo shafts were used to carry water from nearby wells and springs to a "fune" or manually filled by women. Water was caried from these "fune" to a water vase from where it was used. Sometimes "fune" was made inside a house but it did not have the function of a sink. It was used to collect and store water and nothing more. "Fune" later became a part of a Japanese garden. Stone lantern amid plants. ...

The first time that a sink appeared in a drawing was in the Bokie (慕帰絵) written in the early Muromachi period. The kitchen of Nanrou temple (南瀧院) had a large Sunokoyuka (すのこ床) lit. drainboard floor, next to a stove with a waterfilled oke and Hisyaku (=syaku) for washing. This sunokoyuka was made with split bamboo and water would drip through gaps. Even though in many places, a sunokoyuka was made over a river and washing was done, to make a part of the kitchen floor into sunokoyuka to use as a drain was a new innovation. While one would wonder whether this did not pose a health problem, scraps from kitchen were meticuously collected and used to make a compost. Few Japanese ate meat due to the Emperor's decree given in 8th century and animals and birds were slaughtered away from a house. Until late Edo period, this type of kitchen was widely used. [[ == The Muromachi period (Japanese: 室町時代, Muromachi-jidai, also known as the Muromachi era, the Muromachi bakufu, the Ashikaga era, the Ashikaga period, or the Ashikaga bakufu) is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. ... The Edo period (Japanese: 江戸時代, Edo-jidai), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1600 to 1867. ...

Shoinzukuri and the Kitchen

Shoinzukuri became the standard style of building a house beginning in 13th century and it was revolutionary for combining fire (stove) and water (well and drain) into a single place. It was still few steps short of a kitchen. In the early stage of Shoinzukuri style, instead of the kitchen being a room inside Omoya (母屋)or the main building, it was merely connected by a corridor and existed inside one of many sub-buildings. However, it did have a Kamado, a Irori, a well, and a Sunokoyuka in the same room.

In the Edo period, Daidokoro came to be used to mean "Kitchen" and it became an integrated part of the house. It was, however, more common to call it Katte (勝手) which is only used to mean the back door today. The pantry room was instead called Ozenntate (御膳立). Upper class houses were finely stocked and extremely large by today's standard. The country house of Tokugawa Mitsukuni known as a gourmet of Edo period, had kitchen spaces at least 34 jyou or about 53 square metres. This is more than one third of the entire house and this does not include the room for sake storage or the pantry room. Some of well furnished kitchens had a running water by having bamboo shafts fetch the water while others had to fetch the water from a common well. But a separate room for the kitchen had became absolute necessity and except for smallest of the house which only had a room, there was always a kitchen. The Edo period (Japanese: 江戸時代, Edo-jidai), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1600 to 1867. ... Tokugawa Mitsukuni (徳川光圀; July 11, 1628 - January 14, 1701) was a prominent daimyo who was known for his influence in the politics of the early Edo period. ... Sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine Sake (é…’; pronounced IPA: SAH-KEH in Japanese, but often IPA: SAH-ki by English speakers) is a Japanese alcoholic beverage, brewed from rice. ...

Industrialization

An American scientist, Edward S. Morse recorded many of the kitchens in urban and rural areas in early Meiji period. These kitchens were not much different from those in the Edo period as gas and electricity have only began to be used even in America and Europe. Though it was costly to lay down infrastructures, these were dutifully laid down under a heavy subsidization by semi-private and national companies. Edward Sylvester Morse (June 18, 1838 â€“ December 20, 1925) was a US zoologist and orientalist. ... The Meiji period (Japanese: 明治時代, Meiji-jidai) denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running from 8 September 1868 (in the Gregorian calendar, 23 October 1868) to 30 July 1912. ...

A large change occurred in the early 1900s in Japanese cuisine and it would be senseless to skip this major topic when talking about the kitchen. Foreign cuisines from every part of the world flooded Japanese cookbooks and these were a part of boom called Haikara (ハイカラ) lit. high collared, taken from high collared coats popular in Europe. Popular dishes like Curried rice, Sukiyaki, Ramen, Gyudon appeared in Meiji period as a part of the Haikara movement and fusing of traditional Japanese cuisines with other cuisines. Kitchen would be completely reorganized to cook these foods from kitchens of Edo period where a simple menu of rice, broiled fish, vegetable soup, and pickled vegetables was all they know. There are many views of what is fundamental to Japanese cuisine. ... Sukiyaki Sukiyaki (鋤焼 or more commonly すき焼き) (pronounced: ski yaki) is a Japanese dish in the nabemono-style (one-pot), consisting of thinly sliced beef, tofu, konnyaku noodles, leeks, onions, Chinese cabbage, and enoki mushrooms among others. ... A typical packet of ramen Contents of the packet The same ramen, prepared This article discusses Japanese food. ... Drivein Gyudon (at Honshu Shikoku contact bridge, Awaji service area) Yoshinoyas beef bowl Sukiya is a major gyudon chain in Japan. ...

The first gas light was installed in Yokohama by 1873 but it would be more than 30 years before commercials for the gas started appearing in newspapers. But it was not for middle to lower classes that these commercials were directed. In the 1908 study of how the gas was used in Tokyo city, 57% was for lighting, 14% was for fuel, 19% was for powering motors, and 3% was for streetlights. This meant that gas was used to light only 1 out of 9 household and only 1 out of 100 household used gas for cooking. Gas companies knew and early appliances were directly imported from England which made them too costly for richest citizens. View of Tokyos Shibuya district Long a symbol of Tokyo, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Kokyo Imperial Palace. ...

The Japanese kitchen would take a turn away from American and European kitchens from this point. The first item of the industrialization to be introduced to most houses was the "gas heated rice cooker". A gas stove were introduced much later as the cost of gas was still too high for most homes. A gas oven, often essential part of the kitchen in many American and European houses never made it into a common household because dishes like roasted chicken and a baked pie became popular much later. Instead of an oven, smaller fish oven was fitted into a gas stove. The gas heated rice cooker remained in use until 1970s in many houses and would be replaced by the electric rice cooker.

In 1920s, electricity began entering a common household. In "Nihonkatei daihyakkajiten", lit. Encyclopedia of Japanese Household, published in 1927, There is already an entry of "Katei denka" meaning completely electric housing. It says,

The most important reason to use electricity for all needs of a house, lighting, heat, power is because it will help women to work, increasing their efficiency, make living easier and comfortable, and also make it economical. There must be several electrical outlets in each room to easily use an appliance like electric heater. They also let occupants use electric light at anytime and no one can forget the comfort of using appliances like an electric fan, an electric heater, an electric toaster, a coffee maker, an electric iron, and an electric curling iron.

...Placing various electric appliances (in a kitchen) and cooking with them is essential to making it easier to work in this small space. An electric stove, an electric oven, an electric refrigerator, an electric dishwashers, etc. must be wired properly in appropriate spaces.

This, however did not mean that a completely electric house had became common. On 1937, J. G. Douglass from General Electric conducted a half year research on how much electric appliances made into a common household. According to this report; The General Electric Company, or GE (NYSE: GE) is a multinational technology and services company. ...

• Electric Iron - 3,131,000 (approximately 120,000 in Tokyo area)
• Refrigerator - 12,215 (4,700)
• Room Cooler - 260 (125)
• Vacuum Cleaner - 6,610 (3,100)
• Washing Machine - 3,197 (1,590)

It also predicted that 4 years later, in 1941, electric appliances should be much widely used. A 490% increase is predicted for the refrigerator, 470% increase for the vacuum cleaner, and 150% increase for iron.

The first public water service began in October 17, 1887 in Yokohama. By the early 1900s, most major cities had water services. However, these water pipes often led to public water taps. In 1892, a survey conducted in Yokohama revealed that less than 1 in 4 household had a private water tap. Eighteen thousand one hundred eighty-four households used public water taps while only 5,120 household used private water taps. By 1930s, most new houses were constructed with a private water taps but it would take another 30 years to became available in a village far from a city. 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ...

The "Average person's dream kitchen"

In 1912, a progressive woman's magazine "Hujin no tomo" (婦人之友) ran a contest for a "Heiminteki risouno daidokoro" (平民的理想の台所), or "average person's dream kitchen." Heimin, literally "average person," was a popular phrase in the 1910s and 1920s, and it implied a well-educated and progressive person. Fifty-two contest entries were sent by readers, and two were awarded grand prizes. These two winners were entitled "the city kitchen" and "the village kitchen". 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ...

The city kitchen, for example, was about 15.5 square metres in size and was intended to be used by a wife and her mother-in-law. The kitchen had doors leading to the dining room, the bath, and the laundry area. It had a wooden floor, roughly one-fourth of which included underfloor storage lined with concrete to better store foods. Two kamado (stoves) were at one end, and a separate portable stove using charcoal was set up in the middle of the room. Next to the kamado was a stone water sink without a water tap. Next to this sink were storage shelves with pots and pans on top, washed dishes in the middle, and vegetables and miso on the bottom. Next to the portable stove was a large food preparation table, with several drawers to store cooking utensils. Staples such as rice, sugar, and flour were kept in pots beneath this table. Additional shelves at the other end of the room could be accessed from both the kitchen and the dining room. Next to these shelves was another preparation table where foods were served onto individual dishes and then carried to the dining room. Kitchen windows and shoji were installed with glass panes to make the kitchen brighter, and electric lights were hung from the ceiling. This "dream kitchen" was spacious by today's standards, yet it lacked most modern post-industrial conveniences, although many smaller improvements had been made. Miso (Japanese: 味噌) is a thick paste similar to doenjang made by fermenting soybeans with kōji (麹, Aspergillus oryzae) and sea salt. ... Japanese room with sliding shoji doors and tatami flooring In traditional Japanese architecture, a shoji (障子) is a room divider or door consisting of translucent washi over a wooden frame. ...

Also around this time, many families started to use a low table called chabudai. It was placed on the tatami, and everyone sat around it, rather than using individual daiban. Until the 1960s, sitting on chairs and eating around a dining table was considered "Haikara". Tatami mats (畳) (originally meant folded and piled) are a traditional Japanese flooring. ...

The kitchen in the Taisho period

In the Taisho period (1912–1926), a popular movement called "Taisho Democracy" began. Its main focus was on universal suffrage for males, but this movement also extended into other fields, serving as a modernization effort like the Meiji Restoration. The kitchen was also affected. History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Taisho period (大正 Taishō, lit. ... The Meiji Restoration (Japanese: 明治維新, Meiji-ishin), also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to a change in Japans political and social structure. ...

The kitchen before the Taisho period was constructed so that most tasks could be done while sitting, crouching, or kneeling. This did make some sense due to long preparation and cooking times, and helped keep the stove low to prevent the spread of fire. As gas stoves and European-style clothes became popular, kitchens were redesigned so they could be used even while standing. A second innovation was that instead of placing the stove and water sink in a sunken, dirt-floored section of the kitchen, the stove was constructed on the same level as the rest of the kitchen, eliminating the need for stepping into footwear to attend it.

In 1922, Suzuki Shougyou began marketing a customizable kitchen set that came to be called the "System Kitchen." Many of its parts were prefabricated, and it could be made to fit in a space anywhere from 1.8 to 2.7 metres, the length of one to one-and-one-half tatami mats. The System Kitchen had a water sink, a cutting board, two or more gas stoves (not included), and cabinets for storage. This Suzuki kitchen was expensive, costing 120 yen at a time when a first-year bank worker earned only 50 yen per month. Today the same worker earns over 240,000 yen or over 2,000 dollars in a month. Tatami mats (畳) (originally meant folded and piled) are a traditional Japanese flooring. ...

By the end of Taisho period, it was becoming increasingly difficult to have a maid to help around the house. This means that the kitchen had to be smaller for a housewife working alone. Whereas a European Frankfurt kitchen measured 1.9m by 3.4m, or 6.46 square metres, Japanese pushed for an even smaller size, 1 Tsubo or 3.3 square metres, the area of two tatami mats. Three sides of these kitchens were filled with cupboards, stoves, storage areas, and a water sink. The Frankfurt kitchen (view from the entrance) The Frankfurt kitchen was a milestone in domestic architecture, considered the fore-runner of modern built-in kitchens, for it realised for the first time a kitchen built after a unified concept, designed to enable efficient work and to be built at low... Shakkan-hō Shakkan-hō) is the traditional Japanese system of measurement. ...

The post-war kitchen

Many Japanese houses were destroyed in World War II, but rebuilding allowed architects to freely redesign houses as well as kitchens. The influence of Edo-period lifestyles was now nearly gone. Electricity and gas were built into kitchens, and designs reflected this change. An electric refrigerator, a luxury item prior to the war, became a standard item in the 1950s, along with an electric washing machine and a black-and-white television. However, early post-war housing projects were often poorly designed. Sometimes architects simply copied plans for American or European housing projects, with only minor modifications to better suit Japanese families. Kitchens were small and soon became cluttered with new electric appliances. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The "System Kitchen" approach to design was intended to make the kitchen easier for the average housewife to use. Since most families cook many different types of cuisine in their kitchens, a streamlined cooking process was studied, focusing on how the kitchen was actually used. In a system kitchen, the refrigerator and other electrical appliances were placed in predesigned locations, and storage spaces were subdivided to house various pots, pans and kitchen utensils. A cuisine (from French cuisine, meaning cooking; culinary art; kitchen; itself from Latin coquina, meaning the same; itself from the Latin verb coquere, meaning to cook) is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a place of origin. ...

See also

• Housing in Japan
• Japanese cooking tools category

Hearth in a traditional Japanese house This building is public housing provided by the government of Tokyo. ...

External links

• Entry for daidokoro at JAANUS (Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System).
• JAANUS entry for kamado (stove), with a good image.