Mud walls (土塗り壁)

Schema of a mud wall and the bamboo laths within it. From Satō: Zukai kenchiku daiku yōgo nōto, p. 100.
Schema of a mud wall and the bamboo laths within it. From Satō: Zukai kenchiku daiku yōgo nōto, p. 100.

The walls of a machiya are made by connecting vertical beams with bamboo laths and the applying a mixture of sand, earth and water to them. Because the walls become unstable at a height of about 1.80 metres, additional beams are put in place. To prevent the material from crumbling and getting fissures, cheesecloths are added to provide the mud with a clingier surface. The same is done to the pillars: in order to prevent them from cracking, they are wrapped in cheesecloth before the muddy mixture is added.