Japanese traditional homes begin with an entrance called a Genkan (玄関), essentially a hall with two doors and a step, a mud room of sorts, for removing shoes before entering the home. While I don't know if this was the original purpose, the step acts as a symbolic border between the home's floor and the outdoors where shoes are permitted and an excellent cold sump to suck down cold drafts and prevent them from entering the home in winter. The double set of doors would prevent a direct current of air into the house and promote a more tight envelope year round. In homes where the ventilation has been set up to change the air frequently, an extremely air-tight envelope can be an excellent solution to energy efficiency combined with something like heat recovery venting.
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