Houses are called cise. Larger cise in Tokachi were said to be about 6 meters in width and 9 meters in length. Japanese tree lilacs and Manchurian ash were used for the framework, and common reed was mainly used for the walls and roof. Cise were said to be warm due to the heat-insulation properties of the materials. The interior was a single square space, containing a hearth in the center. Windows were placed with one opposite the entrance and one or two on each side. The window across from the entrance was especially important as the place where kamuy (gods) go in and out of the cise.