The document compares and contrasts a traditional Malay house (Rumah Melayu) and a traditional Japanese house (Kyu Asakura House). It discusses the differences in their architecture, interior space usage, and traditional functions. The Rumah Melayu uses ironwood and tree bark for walls without nails, while the Japanese house uses wooden structures and paper with a lifespan of around 20 years. Interior spaces also differ, with the Rumah Melayu having separate areas for living and cooking, while the Japanese house can alter room sizes with movable doors. Additionally, each house serves different traditional cultural functions for its occupants.

1. The Differences between a Rumah Melayu and a Traditional Japanese House
Kalashian (2009) explains that the word ‘traditional’ gives meaning to something
that has not changed over time. Hence, a traditional house emanates a familiarity
which gives comfort and contentment to its owners as they feel connected to it. Two
contrasting instances are the House of Daeng Mat Diew in Borneo and the Kyu
Asakura House in Japan. Among the points of comparison are architecture, usage of
space and traditional function.
Firstly, the architecture of the aforementioned houses have several dissimilarities.
While the House of Daeng Mat Diew is influenced by the ethnic Malay of Western
Borneo, the Kyu Asakura House shows traits of Buddhist temples and traditional
Chinese architecture. In terms of structure, the rumah Melayu is prefabricated from
ironwood and tree bark for walls, without the use of nails. Its construction was a
socio-religious event in which all the menfolk of the village participated, locally known
as ‘gotong-royong’. With regard to the diversity of styles in each state, province and
sub-ethnics, traditional architecture of rumah Melayu vary in terms of binding
features such as distinguishable Malay roofs, although similar at first glance as there
are raised on stilts to avoid floods. On the contrary, typified by wooden structures
and paper, the conventional Japanese home has a limited lifespan of averagely two
decades. Such houses are then usually torn down and rebuilt, leading to the
depreciation of the property. Lightweight construction also reduces chances of injury
by heavy debris in the event of earthquakes. Clearly, the architecture of the two
buildings display diversity in design to suit the local climatic conditions and
expresses the way of life of its inhabitants.

2. In addition, the interior usage of space and landscape of the House of Daeng Mat
Diew and the Kyu Asakura House exhibits unlikeness between the two as well.
Typical Malay houses consists of two major areas, the Rumah Ibu or Main House
where core activities are conducted and the separated Rumah Dapur, in case of fire
accidents. On the other hand, traditional Japanese houses do not have a designated
use for each room besides the entry area, bathroom, toilet and kitchen.
Interchangeable wood and paper doors called futsuma are used to alter the
partitioning and size of a specific room. The House of Daeng Mat Diew features
regular Malay room typology and layout but has two prominent spaces, the Platform
(pelantar), an exceptional bridal suite and the Attic (loteng) for women to work on
embroidery. The house is also surrounded by acres of plantations and orchards.
Furthermore, the Kyu Asakura house offers beautifully preserved rooms such as the
Drawing Room, the Conference Room and not to mention a meticulously manicured
traditional Japanese garden. In conclusion, the layout of both conventional houses
differ from a variety of interesting aspects including landscape and interior design.
Lastly, each of these houses have respective traditional functions that reflect the
culture of its occupants. For instance, the porch of the House of Daeng Mat Diew is a
favourite place to chat and watch passer-bys, whereas sewing and praying is
conducted in the Rumah Ibu. Its importance is expressed by its floor level being the
highest in the house. Contrarily, the living room is the centre of the Kyu Asakura
House as it is where the family dines together. In it, a cabinet (chadansu) holds the
family plates and bowls. Besides that, most furniture in the house are low in height
and people sit on a square cushion made from beautiful cloth (zabuton). Not only
that, local identity is represented in the outlook of the house itself. As researched by
University Technology of Malaysia (2005), the construction of the House of Daeng

3. Mat Diew was completed by Chinese craftsmen, but the fine finishing flaunt Bugis
influence. As an example, the Platform is heavily decorated with relief carvings and
ornamental ventilation grilles. On the contrary, the traditional Japanese garden of the
Kyu Asakura house is an important setting for tea ceremonies. For instance,
Freeman (2011) states that it emphasizes Zen Buddhist ideals of tranquillity and
contemplation, such as flowing water sources should be made to run from east to
west, so that the path of the sun follows the water. Obviously, the function of each
space is suited to the family's socio-economic and cultural needs.
In a nutshell, the Rumah Melayu and the Japanese traditional house differ in terms
of architecture, usage of space and traditional function. The house of my choice
would be the Kyu Asakura house as it simply depicts the grace and peace of a
home. Traditional houses nurture and preserve unique local individuality for the
appreciation of future generations, thus, the related departments and citizens should
strive to promote awareness to safeguard national treasure.
(793 words)