Wooden House Repairing and Timber Demands in the Kaya Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, Yosano, Kyoto, Japan

Abstract

This study discusses the characteristics of timber demand and the manner in which it is determined, to provide information to facilitate the preservation of traditional wooden houses, based on a case study of the Kaya Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in Yosano town, Kyoto, Japan. We analyzed 1) the process and work schedule for house repairs and landscaping as part of the public project, 2) the house owners' reasons for the house repairs, and 3) the work elements of house repairs and landscaping. In addition, we inspected various official documents and interviewed the officers and workers involved in the house repairs. We identified the three main types of timber in demand. The first type comprised the Cryptomeria japonica boards for walls. The second type comprised the Cryptomeria japonica, Pinus densiflora, and Chamaecyparis obtuse boards and square timbers for roofs. The third type comprised the Chamaecyparis obtusa and Cryptomeria japonica boards for wooden fittings. The timber demand increased because the district was officially designated as an Important Preservation District, and households could avail government assistance toward the repair costs. Each building's work amount was limited by factors related to administrative procedures and was affected by the halting of work during snowy periods. Many house owners repaired their main buildings first and hoped to conserve their landscape. The future challenge is to determine the quality and species of the timber used for the repairs, as well as to incorporate structural works into the public program for house repair.