with scroll, and , a writing desk with a view, which gave this style its name; this later became purely decorative, being used to display impressive writing utensils The foundations for the design of today's traditional Japanese residential houses with tatami floors were established in the late
Muromachi period (approximately 1338 to 1573) and refined during the ensuing
Momoyama period. The term , meaning
study or
drawing room has been used to denote reception rooms in residences of the military elite as well as study rooms at monasteries. A has a
core area surrounded by
aisles and smaller areas separated by
fusuma sliding doors, or
shōji partitions constructed of paper on a wooden frame or wooden equivalents, and . In the early
Edo period, reached its peak and spread beyond the residences of the military elite.
Conrad Totman argues that the development of the style was linked to a scarcity of wood caused by excessive
deforestation, which prompted the use of lower-quality, more abundant material. As larger, straight-grained trees became less available, "elegant wooden flooring gave way to crude wooden under-flooring that was concealed beneath
tatami." Likewise, sliding wooden doors were replaced with
fusuma, a lightweight combination of "stiff fabric or cardboard-like material pasted onto a frame made of slender wooden sticks," and
shōji sliding panels served as a substitute for more elaborate paneled wooden doors. The simpler style used in the architecture of
tea houses for the
tea ceremony developed in parallel with ''
. In the 16th century Sen no Rikyū established dedicated style teahouses characterized by their small size of typically two to eight tatami'', the use of natural materials, and rustic appearance. This teahouse style, exemplified by the Joan and Taian teahouses, was influenced by Japanese farmhouse style and the style featuring tatami matted floors, recessed alcoves (
tokonoma) and one or more ante chambers for preparations. The result was an informal version of the style called . The style has a characteristic decorative alcove and shelf, and utilizes woods such as cedar, pine, hemlock, bamboo, and
cypress, often with rough surfaces including the bark. ==See also==