Okinawa’s private house [Anaya]

There were two basic structural styles in Okinawa’s houses. One is a type of shack, known as an [Anaya], and the other is a type of wooden building called a [Nuchija]. “The house in Motobu” is a shack called [Anaya].

Roof truss built-up
(A slanting timber equivalent to a gassho in Western-style hut structures) placed on top of the girders and fixed with ridge timbers. The rin is tied to the joists with straw ropes, and the rafters are hung in a fan shape from the ridge.
Pillar
Ryukyu limestone pillars of 30cm square are used in the houses of Motobu, but sometimes log pillars are built in.
Wall
Logs are set up vertically in between at appropriate intervals, and cleats are put on them horizontally to make some space, where bamboo kaya, or Japanese pampas grass is stuffed. “Chinibu” is fixed on both sides.
Floor
The logs are laid out at appropriate intervals and finished with bamboo or planks.