Minka and Gasshō-zukuri

Minka (民家 literally "house of the people"^?) are private residences constructed in any one of several traditional Japanese building styles. In the context of the four divisions of society, minka were the dwellings of farmers, artisans, and merchants (i.e., the three non-samurai castes), but this connotation no longer exists in the modern Japanese language, and any traditional Japanese style residence of an appropriate age could be referred to as minka.

 Minka are generally treated as historic landmarks, and many have been designated for preservation by local municipalities or the national government. Of particular note is the so called gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り literally "clasped-hands" style^?), which is preserved in two villages in central Japan, Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture and Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture, that together have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Gasshō-zukuri are perhaps most recognizable and distinguished for their high, peaked roofs. This serves somewhat as a substitute for a chimney, as mentioned above, and might also have allowed for extensive storage space. But the primary purpose of shaping minka roofs in this manner was to accommodate for the extensive precipitation experienced in many parts of Japan. A steeply peaked roof allows rain and snow to fall straight off it, preventing water from getting through the roof into the home, and to a lesser extent preventing the thatch itself from getting too wet and beginning to rot.