55 Tsurezuregusa (Essays in Idleness)

Trs. Kenneth L. Richard

A house should be designed and built for summer. One can live anywhere in the winter. But a house that is badly prepared for the heat is unbearable. Deep water has no sense of coolness. But water that is shallow and flows is far cooler. As to the finer points, a room is brighter with shutters that push open rather than one hung with blinds. A room whose ceiling is too high is cold in winter and the lamps will burn dimly. People usually agree that a building is more arresting if it is built with areas that have no immediate use, but that are fit for a variety of interpretation.