Doors and Windows
Friday 29 May 2009
I read someone mention in his book many years ago, that in UK front doors always open inwards whereas in Japan they always open outwards and I was so convinced, as at the time I was living in Australia and it was the same there. (I've noticed in most other countries they open inwards.) The author said in the book he thinks the UK style (or the global style) gives a welcome feel to the guests when inviting them inside and that the Japanese style doesn't and I thought that could be true. But now I guess because in Japanese houses we have a little space called "genkan" where we take our shoes off on entering the house, if the doors open inwards it would be a problem (our shoes would be all squashed). Besides traditionally there only existed sliding type doors in Japanese houses and no hinged doors! I don't know why but I suddenly remembered about the book and had a little think about doors. Well maybe it's not a big deal, I just love doors and windows!
01 Hara Museum of Art, Tokyo / 02,03,04 "Spain Mura" Tokyo / 05-1 Somewhere in Paris / 05-2 Tokyo Teien Museum / 06 Vincent Van Gogh's residence in Montmarte / 07 MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA Paris / 08 A window from my neighbourhood / 09 Casa Batllo, Barcelona / 10 A house near parc guell, Barcelona
that's an interesting observation. in finland we also open the door outwards and my first thought was that the reason for it is that finns are quite distant. but then i realized that most of the apartments have double door and having two doors opening inwards wouldn't really work. maybe.
ReplyDeleteThat is so interesting, I had never considered it before. I am going to keep my eye out. I think that perhaps here (UK) that any doors that are fire escapes would open outwards? Like perhaps the doors to a business or apartments? But that is so true that house doors open inwards. Interesting :)
ReplyDeletecute!! i like this set and your description of the book.
ReplyDeleteLovely series... !
ReplyDeleteinteresting! i'v not thought of this before
ReplyDeletegreat photos! did you take them all yourself?
have a lovely weekend :)
Oh, these are just special! I love windows and doors. To me, they signify new hope!
ReplyDeleteinteresting observation about the doors in japan. it makes sense that you wouldn't want your shoes to be pushed aside or squashed.
ReplyDeletei've just realized that my door opens out while my grandparents down the street opens in. now i'm not sure which one is used here. :)
hmm i didnt know that about the door. interesting. never thought about it. wish the door opened outwards here since my flat is sooo small and my shoes get squashed everytime. and obviously i have no genkan. i think ive been to hara museum looong time ago. looking your posts make me want to explore tokyo!
ReplyDeletevery great/beautiful/interesting picture post!!
ReplyDeleteOur front door opens inwards because it has screen doors. I notices the doors in QLD are "inward style"
ReplyDeleteI love doors as well. Irish ones are really cute, if you are interested in.
By the way, I think we have mutual friend. Aki!
HELLO MONAKA (I love your nickname!),
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback!! Interesting. I actually think that finn people and japanese people are kind of alike. I guess you have double doors in Finland because of the cold weather? Would the house door still open inwards if it was a single door(if there are any single front doors exist...) I'm so curious!!
HELLO ALICE,
it's interesting, isn't it? you don't really think about things like this. and yes I meant all the house doors.
HELLO ANNA, HELLO MARION,
Thank you, don't you love doors and windows? ;)
HELLO MARY,
Yes these are all my photos I've taken in the past years. i think it's normal not to have thought about something like this haha ;)
HELLO JEN LACEDA,
I loooved the photos of blue doors from Morocco you posted a little while ago!!
HELLO ANDY,
mmmmm you have one door open inwards and another outwards! interesting.... I couldn't tell where you live though.
HELLO YASU,
Hara museum is just superb! It's a kind which I think you love too. and i think tokyo is waiting to be explored by you ;)
HELLO ARON,
thank you, l like that!
HELLO MOMO,
I wonder what Irish doors are like! So curious!
And yes we indeed have a mutual friend!!! small world. Aki seems to know about all the japanese people living in Australia! :)
This is a seriously cool post! I wonder if there is something also about doorknobs and where they are placed on a door, if there is a significance to that. I adore your blog and posts so much.
ReplyDeleteright! haha. the u.s. :)
ReplyDeleteBonjour from south of france! i really like your bLog...i used to live in london and my street was called melody road and my door was bright purple... i loved it.
ReplyDeletegini
These are excellent artitics photos. Congratulations..I've been to Japan many times and wa invited at Friends' homes. I never noticed the doors opened to the outside until you mentioned it
ReplyDeletesuch a great post! a lovely collection of images, and it makes for interesting musing on the doors:) i love the genkan in japan. we lived in a machiya i kyoto and had a great big doma-style entry with a sliding door, plenty of space for shoes and bikes inside. i like the sliding door entry, it like a little discovery everytime you slide it across - kind f an adventure:)
ReplyDeleteHELLO ALEXANDRIA,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for enjoying my blog, that is really sweet to hear. And oh doorknobs, I'm quite obsessed with them too!
HELLO ANDIE,
HA! Thank you :)
BONJOUR GINI,
Thank you for visiting my blog. Melody road, that's a pretty name and a bright purple door! Sounds as if it popped out of a picture book! I love that :)
HELLO BARON'S LIFE,
Well it's a sort of thing which you never really think about, don't really need to. but i somehow find it interesting! Next time you come to Japan you will have to notice, unfortunately ;)
HELLO BREE,
ReplyDeleteHow lovely it must be to live in a kyoto machiya!
I love the sound of those sliding doors when opening there surely is a great feel of excitement!
I will certainly notice it now...I made it my new hobby to look at how doors open everywhere I go now.
ReplyDeleteThere are certainly similarities between Finns and Japanese! I never noticed the doors, but I suppose the explanation could be as practical as the shoes being squashed since in both countries, people remove their shoes when entering someone's home. The reasons to this, then, could be buried deeper in the two cultures :)
ReplyDelete