Abstract
In this study we analyze the regional characteristics of architecture and space composition through the changes in lifestyle of those living in privately owned houses in the major cities of Tohoku, the northeastern part of Japan. At the same time we try to generalize about the local color of housing. We chose Hirosaki, Tono, Tsuruoka, Aizuwakamatsu and Sendai as representative major cities of Tohoku districts. Studies were made on architectural forms in these cities(mainly the plans, the arrangement of rooms the forms of parlors), appearances (mainly gardens, gates, location of parlors), the method of construction (mainly in relation with meteorological characteristics), life styles and visions of housing. With traditional Japanese houses, there are explicable orders and formality on a whole and even in details such as appearances, plans and individual rooms. This, however, cannot be a local characteristic but a uniformity of Japanese culture in general. Having lost its raison d'être, the established formality has been changed and replaced by new forms such as combination of public and private space or a mixture of Japanese and Western style. This tendency of new formality varies in districts. We discussed whether such variations can be identified as local culture or not. We came to a conclusion that local variation of housing does not necessarily mean the local cooler of the above cities. In regions with heavy snow, however, there are theoretical and systematic methods of construction against snow which are characteristic of the area and which can be identified as local color.
