Remodeling House Ideas: A Japanese Lighting Techniques 01

Remodeling House Ideas : A Japanese Lighting Techniques 01

In the traditional Japanese house with its low, overhanging eaves, the lower parts of a room receive the most light while the higher areas become progressively darker. This is because sunlight, blocked as it is by the eaves, enters the room after being reflected off the ground or off the veranda, and travels in an upward direction. Light becomes less bright the farther it goes, which in this case means the higher it goes. The Western window, on the other hand, admits sunlight directly—a curtain being used to block it out when necessary—and the rays of light travel in a downward direction.

In Japan, lighting devices for the home originally used to be placed on the floor because of the way light entered it, as described above. It is the same with garden illumination: instead of hanging lights from trees, the Japanese used stone lanterns placed on the ground. This kind of lighting is, moreover especially suited to the custom of sitting on the floor, discussed earlier. Since tables and other surfaces which require illumination were low, lamps situated on the floor were ideal.

The development of glass in Japan came very late; thus the technique of using glass to provide direct, bright illumination, and to reflect light in a sparkling, glittering way, did not flourish. Rather, the soft illumination which enters a room through the white paper of the shoji can be said to be the basic characteristic of Japanese-style lighting, and indirect lighting is vastly preferred to harsh, direct lighting.

If modern illumination can be compared with the brilliant sun, perhaps traditional Japanese illumination may be said to represent the luminous moon. Part of the tranquil beauty of the traditional Japanese home is captured through the use of indirect lighting, which, in addition, complements the soft textures and natural colors of a room with tatami and shoji. Today, in Japan, however, the sense of enjoyment associated with the play of light and shadows seems to have been forgotten, and the concept of creating atmosphere through the use of natural or indirect lighting, such as that used in a tea room, has almost disappeared. Although bright lighting can be used attractively, soft lighting can add a new dimension to the home. Here are some ideas.