The paper focuses on transformations of houses between 1971 and 1998 in a sloping setting of Saikazaki village near Wakayama city. The results of survey done in 1971 and 1998 will be compared in terms of CAD drawings of houses along alleys called Nakano-chou. They show that the basic spatial formation have been kept unchanged in spite of significant change of room arrangement as a result of modernization. Intermediate small spaces covered with Tatami mat and wooden floor in the middle of house take an important roll as buffer zone as if they are the hub of dwelling spaces.
