This paper aims to clarify the background of the modernization of theater architecture in Japan during the 1920-30s. After the Meiji era, Western-style theaters were gradually constructed in Japan. In particular, starting in the mid-1920s, after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the modernization of theaters progressed rapidly. This paper identifies two characteristic movements in Japan’s theaters modernization by analyzing journal articles and academic books of the time: the Society for the Study of Theater Architecture and Renshichiro Kawakita.

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 The purpose of this study is to reveal the situation of heat insulation in Japan in the 1930s, when the idea of insulation was scarcely known, and to describe innovative insulation methods proposed by certain architects who pioneered this concept during that decade. Furthermore, we examined the reasons why heat insulation did not become popular in those days.
 The heat-insulation methods used in Japanese houses in the 1930s can be classified into two types: wet-type and dry-type construction methods. In most applications of the conventional wet-type construction method, Celotex was used as a heat insulator and was applied only to the roof or/and the ceiling. This implies that heat insulators were used for the purpose of heat shielding.
 Amongst the dry-type construction methods, a new method called “Trockenbau,” which was mainly influenced by the methodology of Bauhaus, gained significant attention. Ken Ichiura, Kameki Tsuchiura, Chikatada Kurata, and others, who were the main innovators of Trockenbau, introduced the concept and materials of heat insulation to the architecture field through their designs and research activities. They also played an important role in promoting further research on heat insulation. In houses constructed using the Trockenbau method, Celotex was applied to the ceilings and walls as a finishing material and rice husks were used to fill the hollow sections of the walls in some cases. However, their interest in heat insulation remained confined to Trockenbau and did not extend to the idea that the introduction of heat insulation would improve the quality of life in Japan.
 On the other hand, some architects attempted to employ their own distinctive methods of heat insulation. Mamoru Nakamura and others worked on the wet-type construction method, whereas Antonin Raymond, Yoshiro Taniguchi, and others worked on the dry-type construction method.
 Mamoru Nakamura applied double heat insulation. Rice husks were filled into the spaces between structural members, making an “entire house built within boxes of rice husks;” the thermal performance was enhanced by the interior insulator. Nakamura believed that houses should offer usability, security, thermal comfort, and beauty and that comprehensively designed houses enrich the quality of life.
 Antonin Raymond used Celotex not as a finishing material but rather between studs placed inside wall bodies, thereby forming hollow layers partitioned by Celotex to further enhance the heat-insulation performance. Raymond recognized the importance of heat insulation as well as the importance of facilities in modern architecture. Yoshiro Taniguchi inserted tin plates in addition to Celotex inside wall bodies. His attempts to improve the thermal environment of houses were much more scientific than TrokenBau. The statements given by Taniguchi provide deep insights into heat insulation and reveal that he envisioned the advantages of heat insulation, which is a standard notion today.
 Despite the endeavours of these individuals, heat insulation was not widely understood at the time. This may have been because material development and technology improvement were hindered by the influence of WWII, and the Japanese were hesitant to adopt heat insulation owing to Japan's indigenous customs and thoughts.

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i) In terms of geography, the rural house, especially its roof, is an important key to approach a settlement structure. The roof of a rural house differs from one area to another, as it reflects conditions as well as the specific way of living of the people of an area. It is possible to grasp the typical regional character in the type of roof and arrangement of rooms; also, the dynamic change of life in a rural area, such as pervasion of the use of roof-tiles and the rise and fall of silkworm culture, can be made clear through the roof-type and its change.
The present writer chooses the whole Western Japan an object, examines the distribution of several roof-types, and courses of their circulation, and tries to make clear settlement structures as seen through the roofs.
ii) Roofing material:
More isolated mountain or island villages use more thatched or shingle roofs. Tiled roofs are widely used in industrialized areas; they show the tendency to spread from suburban areas into mountain areas with the development of urbanization and traffic. This tendency will grow stronger in future.
Different roof-tiles are used between each area, reflecting local conditions: the tile-guard and the Iwami red tile in the snowy area of the northern parts (although not so wide spread as in the Tohoku and Hokuriku Districts); windbreaks in the seacoast area (especially in the Pacific Coast). Chinese red tiles in Okinawa are interesting as showing foreign influences.
To a large extent, roofing material is conditioned by economic backgrounds.
iii) Roof-types:
Many types can be recognized: the U. and L. roofs, the conical roof and other varieties beside three fundamental types-the “irimoya” (gabled) roof, the “yosemune” (hipped) roof, the “kirizuma” (barge) roof.
The “irimoya” roof is spread over the Kinki District north of the median dislocation line, eastern Chugoku, north-western Shikoku.
The “yosemune” roof is widely adopted in the Kii Peninsular, western Chugoku, the Shikoku District, and the Kyushu District. It is especially much used along the Pacific Coast.
The “kirizuma” roof is popular in the mountain areas of Tajima, Hyogo Pref., and the Yamato Basin. In Tajima, silkworm culture accounts for its popularity. In Yamato, the “kirizuma” style has developed into the so-called “yamatomune” roof.
The U. type roof, a variety usually called “kudozukuri”, is centered at the Tsukushi Plain in the North Kyushu District. It is called “U” because it has two projections in the rear.
The L. type roof, another variety with one projection in the rear of the house, is found in Kyushu (“kagiya”), in the Kochi Plain (“magariya”), and on the Tamba Plateau (“tsunoya”). Old families often adopt this roof-type.
The “futamunezukuri” roof, where the main body of house and the kitchen are separated, is found in Kagoshima down to Nansei Islands. This roof-type is originated in the Micronesian and the Melanesian Islands.
The conical roof is found in Okinoerabu and Yoron, the islands situated at the southernmost tip of Japan.
iv) As shown here, roofs in Western Japan richly vary in type. They are further varied by the use of different ridge pressings (decorative). The distribution of these roof-types, remarkably correspond with distinctive areas. It further coincide with topographical districts.
The mixture of two or more types as well as the transformation of a type is seen where two distributional areas meet. Social changes have at places resulted in changes of roof-type. Adaptation to climatic conditions has also contributed to improving the roof. At defiles and mountain passes, the course of circulation of each roof-type can be traced.

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In the Senboku District which comprises northern part of the Yokote Basin and its surrounding area, Akita Prefecture in northeastern Japan, we still find some examples of the traditional L-shaped houses called Magariya. These L-shaped houses are in many ways similar to the L-shaped houses distributed in Iwate Prefecture, the so-called Nanbumagariya, and are usually considered to be descended from these. In other areas close to this region, however, it is known that there is another type of L-shaped houses called Chumonzukuri. In this paper the author has tried to clarify the distribution of Magariya and its subtypes in the Senboku District and to consider its cultural relationphip to the areas in which are distributed the Nanbumagariya and Chumonzukuri.
In order to investigate the house type distribution, the author has used mainly old house plans which were plotted by local admistrative offices. In addition to this material he has made a field suryey and various interviews for this study.
The typology of house types, especially Magariya types shown in Fig. 2, was used to illustrate regionality in house types and some distribution maps for each type were drawn.
Many types of Magariya considered to be descended from the Nanbumagariya are distributed thoroughout the Senboku District, but the proportion of Magariya is higher in the northern area than in the southern. Some houses in this region, however, can be inferred to be descended from Chumonzukuri, and this type occurs predominantly along the southern border of this region and in the northern fringe, such as in Tamagawa Village (ref. Fig. 12)
From this distributional pattern of house types a following hypothesis referring to cultural diffusion can be assumed. Namely, the cultural elements of Chumonzukuri descent have diffused from the southern distrct to the northern periphery of the Senboku District, and later those of Nanbu origin were introduced from the Nanbu District via the Sengan-Pass and gradually became widespread over the greater part of the Senboku District. This assumption is the product of purely geographical observation without any historical or architectural evidence and it will therefore be necessary to make further examinations.

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