Japanese-style Ceilings - Machiya House Features

The next time you are in a Japanese washitsu room, don’t forget to look up. One of our favorite machiya details is the ceiling, as there are so many variations and interesting designs.

Pictured here are 2 different machiya houses. If you look closely at the ceiling design of the 1st machiya house, you will see 2 different styles incorporated – a flat ceiling with one side including a sloping ceiling attached to it. This kind of ceiling is called a “Kakekomi ceiling” and is often used in tea rooms or above ‘engawa’ verandas. Rather than just making the ceiling flat on one side, it accentuates the room and shows off the original structure of the machiya.

Another ceiling style is known as “Funazoko Tenjyo” (ship bottom ceiling). The name comes from the fact that it looks like the bottom of a ship when you look up. You can find this type of ceiling in sukiya-style Japanese architecture and tea rooms. The slight slant of the ceiling allows the space to feel more spacious, which is why it is favored in Japanese rooms.