The Japanese Traditional House: Spatial Representation of Dualistic Social Codes

Abstract This article analyses the traditional Japanese house as a semiotic space that reflects social codes. It examines how architectural features such as the genkan vestibule, the engawa, zashiki, shoji and fusuma sliding panels – mediate relationships between private and public zones. The study introduces key Japanese concepts ( honne/tatemae, uchi/soto, omote/ura, hare/ke , and kafuch ō -sei ) to explain how dichotomies of inner/outer, public/private, and gender roles shape domestic spaces. Transitional, flexible elements allow inhabitants to negotiate boundaries, maintain social harmony, and adapt space to ritual or everyday occasions. Ultimately, the Japanese house is argued to embody not merely climate adaptation or practical rationalism but to perpetuate codified cultural values and social codes through its spatial organization.