To continue on from last week’s post on the ornamental alcove (tokonoma 床の間 or toko 床) of the formal room (zashiki 座敷) of the minka, today we will consider some aspects of tokonoma design.
In the standard zashiki layout, the ‘verandah’ (engawa 縁側) and ‘study’ (shoin 書院) are to the right of the tokonoma, and to its left is the toko-waki (床脇, lit. ‘toko flank’) alcove, which often contains a shelf or shelves, particularly the characteristic ‘staggered shelves’ called chigai-dana (違い棚), and upper cabinets (tenbukuro 天袋). This ‘correct’ tokonoma layout is called hon-doko (本床, ‘true toko’); the opposite arrangement, with engawa and shoin on the left and toko-waki on the right, is called gyaku-toko (逆床, ‘reverse toko’), but is probably just as common.
A zashiki in hon-doko configuration, with toko-waki to the left of the tokonoma, and shoin to the right.
The interior ‘facade’ elevation of a zashiki, in gyaku-toko configuration, with the toknoma (床の間) on the left, the shoin (書院) to the left of the tokonoma, and the toko-waki (床脇) to the right..
The element of the tokonoma that most draws the eye is the toko post (toko-bashira 床柱), which conventionally stands in the centre of the ‘front’ elevation of the room.
Another gyaku-toko configuration. The toko post (toko-bashira 床柱) which occupies a prominent position at or near the centre of the field of view. Other main elements of the tokonoma are labelled: The toko sill (toko-gamachi 床框); the ‘sill stump’ (kamachi-zuka 框束); the toko board (toko-ita 床板); the ‘skirting board’ (zoukin-zuri 雑巾摺); the floor board in front of the toko (ji-ita); and the toko head timber (otoshi-kake 落掛).
In strictly formal zashiki, the toko-bashira is a large-section square post, but in minka it might be a sugi (杉, Cryptomeria japonica) post, perhaps in a style called men-kawa-bashira (面皮柱, ‘face skin post’), where a log is partially squared off into four faces, leaving the natural rounded corners; a ‘scaffold pole’ (shiba maruta しば丸太, lit. ‘firewood log’); or some other informal, eccentric (henboku 変木, lit. ‘strange timber’) or ‘name’ (meiboku 名木, lit. ‘name timber’) variety of post.
Squared log posts (centre) known as men-kawa bashira (面皮柱).
Very finely finished toko-bashira on display.
A selection of henboku (変木) toko-bashira, ranging from plain to what might almost be termed baroque.
A selection of high-end toko-bashira from a supplier’s catalogue. The sugi post in the lower right corner costs 1,800,000 yen for a 150mm diameter, 2,950mm long post: about $12,000 USD at the 2025 exchange rate.
In the wall behind the toko-bashira, between the tokonoma and the tokowaki, there will often be a low opening called the chin-kuguri (狆潜り, lit. ‘Pekingese underpass’) whose purpose is to throw more light into the tokowaki.
In a conventional tokonoma design, the chin-kuguri (ちんくぐり) opening between the tokonoma and toko-waki is around 40 - 60cm high.
A somewhat garish chin-gukuri made with a section of hollow log.
The front bulkhead wall (tare-kabe 垂れ壁, lit. ‘hang down wall’) above the tokonoma opening is terminated with a kamoi (鴨居) or ‘head timber’ called the otoshi-gake (落とし掛); the otoshi-gake is set at a higher position than the kamoi in the rest of the room, which imparts to it a dignified aspect, and also gives a clearer view of a hanging scroll in the alcove. The otoshi-gake may be only slightly higher than the nageshi, or it may be significantly higher, as in the example below.
In this example, the tokonoma head timber, known as the otoshi-gake (落とし掛) is set significantly higher than the regular head ‘lintel’ (kamoi 鴨居) and picture rail (nageshi) that run around the rest of the zashiki at ‘head datum’ (uchi-nori 内法) height. The effect of the chin-kuguri in bringing more light into the toko-waki is evident here.
When the zashiki is run around with a ‘picture rail’ (nageshi 長押), the point where the nageshi meets and terminates at the tokobashira the can be resolved via various devices, such as the old-fashioned makura-sabaki (枕捌き, lit. ‘pillow handling’) or the hina-dome (雛止め, lit. ‘chick stop’); today the junction is typically handled with what is known as kiri-me dou-tsuki (切目胴突 or 切目胴付き), where the nageshi is extended across 7/10ths the width of the face of the tokobashira.
Illustration of three methods for resolving the termination of the nageshi at the toko-bashira. Left, the makura-sabaki (枕さばき, lit. ‘pillow handling’); centre, the kata-sabaki (片さばき, lit. ‘part handling’); right, the hina-dome (ひな留め, lit. ‘chick stop’).
Three methods of resolving the nageshi, shown in plan view.
Image showing a hina-dome nageshi being prepared; the exposed end is given a ‘cap’ so the face grain returns around the end of the timber
The nageshi with end ‘cap’ installed.
The nageshi in place against the tokobashira. In the kiri-me dou-tsuki (切目胴突 or 切目胴付き) style, the nageshi is extended across 7/10ths the width of the face of the tokobashira.
In the makura-sabaki style, the nageshi wraps around the toko-bashira to terminate on its rear face.
The floor sill (kamachi 框) of the toko, called the toko-kamachi or toko-gamachi (床框), is often around 12 - 18cm high, thus the floor of the toko is also this much higher than the tatami floor of the zashiki itself. In the country and in older minka it is generally even higher, with a toko floor consisting of a thick board, known as ita-doko (板床, lit. ‘board floor’) and a kekomi-ita (蹴込み板, lit. ‘kick-in board’) between it and the tatami.
Toko sills (kamachi 框) are conventionally finished in black lacquer (kuro-urushi-nuri 黒漆塗り), called also roiro-gamachi (ろいろ框), but hardwood sills with a ‘rubbed lacquer’ (suri-nushi 摺り漆) finish are also found; a more informal style might employ a log with the thick stumps of the lopped branches (太枝落し futoeda otoshi) still on it.
As mentioned, the classic floor of the standard toko is normally laid with tatami; this style is known as hon-doko (本床), not to be confused with the hon-doko discussed above, which refers to the ‘handedness’ of the zashiki. Usuberi tatami (薄縁畳, lit. ‘thin edge tatami’), tatami with a thin edging of patterned fabric), and ita-datami (板畳, lit. ‘board tatami’, not actually tatami at all, but a section of boarded floor in an otherwise tatami-laid room) are also found. In the countryside, thick planks of Japanese zelkova (keyaki 欅, Zelkova serrata), Japanese horse chestnut (tochinoki, Aesculus turbinata) or sawtooth oak (kunugi, Quercus acutissima), both written 橡, or pine (matsu 松) with an interesting grain or figure (moku 杢) were favoured.
A tokonoma featuring an usuberi tatami floor, a squared log toko-gamachi with stained upper surface and natural rounded face, and a wide, finely grained jiban.
An ita-datami (‘board tatami’) floored tokonoma. The sill edge of the board terminates at the wall against a ‘sill stump’ (kamachi-dzuka 框束).
The ceiling over the tokonoma is higher than that of the main ceiling of the room, so as to be able to accommodate long scrolls, and so it is not visible when sitting before the toko with its high otoshi-kake. It often consists of a single board of figured timber (mokuita 杢板), known as a kagami-tenjou (鏡天井, ‘mirror ceiling’).
The rear face of the ‘bulkhead’ wall (tare-kabe 垂れ壁) above the otoshi-kake is left unfinished (ara-kabe 荒壁, ‘rough wall’).
An example of walls in their ara-kabe 荒壁 state, with base ‘daub’ plaster applied but before the application of the finish plaster (shikkui 漆喰). The rear, generally unseen side of the bulkhead (tare-kabe) of the tokonoma is left in this state, without finish plaster.
It is said that this inclusion in tokonoma design of an element that is ‘lacking’ is not the result of laziness or frugality, but a deliberate symbolic recognition of the sentiment expressed in the saying mitsureba kaku (満れば欠く), or in full tsuki mitsureba sunawachi kaku (月満つれば則ち虧く), ‘The full moon must (surely) wane’: perfection is futile, decay is inevitable, and all things are impermanent.
Interior of a zashiki furnished with tokonoma, tokowaki with chigai-dana and tenbukuro, and shoin. Masuda family (Masuda-ke 増田家) house, Wakayama Prefecture, designated an Important Cultural Property.
A ‘Kansai style’ (Kansai-fū 関西風) zashiki with a hint of the sukiya style (sukiya-fū 数寄屋). Sukiya construction (数寄屋造り sukiya-zukuri) is a refined architectural style of mannered rusticity and deliberate austerity that arose out of tea house architecture, and emphasises the natural qualities of materials over opulence and ornament. There is no picture rail (nageshi); the toko post (toko-bashira) is a squared log (men-kawa bashira); the toko-waki is tatami-floored and without shelves or cabinets.