Japanese Architecture

– Viality and Grace are seen in columns, rafters and brackets and the overhanging
roofs

● East Asian Hip-And-Gable roo

– roof is terminated by irimoya gables
– chinese origin
– spaljakjibung in korea
– derived from the chinese xieshan
– gable placed right above the moya
– hips cover the hisahshi or veranda

(continuation)
⁃ emphasis on straight lines, asymmetry
⁃ exuberant colors and complexity of form
⁃ attention to detail
⁃ technology: intricate joinery, no nails
⁃ design features: interlocking eaves
⁃ blending diff influences from east to west
⁃ preserving the past: regular renewal of the past

● Status and Function

– Differences in architettura styles provide a material expression of the differences
in rank
– Contrast seen in architecture
– Elite: palaces, villas, shrines
– Common: Farmhouses, shophouses (Machiya)

● Architectural Period
— Prehistoric
– Primitive argitectural skills
– pithouse
— Yayoi
– Interacted with the chinese (han)
– graneries, storehouses
– metal tools like saws and chisels
– thatched roof with v0shaoed gable
— Kofun
– introduced tumuli or kofun
– zenpo-koen fun or keyhole shaped kofun
– Mounds were decorated with teracotta period
— Asuka and Nara Architecture
– buddhism introduced
– temples became centers of worshio
– shinto architecture introduced
 – Nara (first permanent capital of Japan)
– Heiji-kyo (patterned in a checkered board pattern)
– Horu-ji (Temple of the flourishing law in lara, oldest surviving wooden buildings
in the world)
– Kondo or Butsuden (worship hall or main hall)
– Kairo (Roofed cloister)

— Jinja Architecture
– Shinto shrine
– torii - shinto gate (painted vermillion)
– stone stairs
– sando - the approach to the shrine (pathway)
– chozuya or temizuya - purification font to cleanse one;s hands and mouth
containing the chizubachi or water basin
– toro - decorative stone lanterns
– kagura-den (Also called Maidono) - building dedicated to the noh, hall where
sacred dances are performed
– ema - wooden plaques bearing prayer sor wishes
– setsumatshusha - small auxillary shrines
– komainu - lion guard dogs
– Haiden - prayer hall or worship
– shimenawa - rise stalks bundled into a giant enclosing rope used for ritual
purification
– Honden - main hall
– tamagaki - fence
– chiki and katsuogi (perpendicular on the roof) - decorative roof ornaments

— Tera Architecture
– Buddhist temples
– temples names end with the word - dera ir -ji
– minor temples end with the word - in
– tera contains the ff:
– Chinnjusha
– Chumon
– Do - hall or building part of a temple
– Garan - temple complex
– Hatto - dharma hall
– hojo - living quarters of the head priest of a zen temple
– hokkedo - lotus sutra hall
– kondo - golden hall, main hall of a garan
– Miei-do - image hall
– mon - temple gate
– romon - two storey gate
– sorin - spire on top of a pagoda

—Todaiji
– Eastern great temple
– most grandiose temple built
– biggest wooden temple in the world
 – contains the daibutsuden - main hall of todai-ji
– hokkedo - lotus sutra hall
– shosoin - treasure house

— Kofukuji
– one of the seven great temples
– now serves as the national headquartes of hosso school
– located in nara

— To
– pagoda or tower
– also called butto
– originally used as reliquaries
– was used to denote tower
– mokuto - wooden pagoda
– sekito - stone pagoda
– pagoda size is measured in Ken (interval between two pillars or bays ( smaller
than 2 meters)
– are earthquake resistant
– shinbashira - central column
– hoto - rare type of japanese pagoda; low foundation stone; cylindrical body with
rounded top; pyramidal roof; finial

— Tahota
– pagoda with two floors

— Tasoto
– pagoda with odd number of stories

— HAEIAN PERIOD
– Capital moved to kyoto

Zensanmon
kencho-ji
mokoshi - lower roof
katomad - flame like lotus type window
odaruki

— Wayo
– japanese style
– characterized by refrained ornamentation

— Shiro
– japanese castles or fortresses
– serves as the houses of daimyos
– three types: yamajiro, himajiro, hirayamajiro