This paper aims to modify the historical interpretation of the modernization process of Japanese house planning. Adoption of Western-styled rooms is not necessary for modernized development of Japanese houses to the center-corridor plan-type, because most houses in the early 20th century had arranged “zashiki” as serial rooms for visitor accommodation, with the “cha-no-ma” as a Japanese style family room keeping its original position. This means that two-way styled drawing rooms had been realized at the same house. Instead of contributing to a democratic lifestyle, this arrangement reinforced a patriarchal lifestyle during the transformation process of Japanese houses at that time.
