"If there is no place like home, there is certainly no home like a minka. Literally "houses of the people," these traditional farmhouses from Japan's premodern past might be more properly called "folk houses." The beauty of minka, like the beauty of all folk art, lies in the harmonious blending of form and material. In form, minka have evolved gradually, with numerous variations, from origins deep in Japan's prehistoric past. The building materials - earth, wood, and stone - come from the same mountains and forests that surround the houses." "Illustrated with more than 400 photographs and drawings, this book describes the basic external and internal features, the structure from foundation to roof truss, and the variety of minka styles. It is a virtual cornucopia of information, sure to delight anyone with an interest in architecture, art, or age-old life-styles that are now on the wane." "An architect by profession, the author has spent half a century scouring Japan from the northern island of Hokkaido to the scattered islands south of Kyushu, studying, drawing, and photographing, in hope of blunting the onslaught of consumer culture that threatens these magnificent houses."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved