Japanese

Architecture

Velos, Miko
Basco, Tresha
Azana, Frances Nichole
Rodriguez, Ronnie
Tulod, John Kenneth

Japanese Architecture
( N i h o n Ke n c h i k u )
6TH CENTURY A.D
to Present Day

J a p a n e s e Te r m s

Building
Tatemono
Door
Tobira
(door) frame
waku
Floor
yuka
opening (e.g. window, door) kaik-bu
paper sliding door
shji
partition wall
majikiri kabe
Roof
yane
Room
heya
stairs, stairway, staircase
kaidan
temple (Buddhist)
tera
Wall
kabe
Window
ado

Geographical Influences

Japan with its principal

island,
Honshu,
and
attendant to north south, lies
off the eastern coast of Asia,
from which is separated by the
sea of Japan. The eastern
shores of japan are bounded by
pacific ocean.

Map of Japan

Sea of
Japan

G e o g r a p h i c a l I n fl u e n c e s

The prevalence of earth quakes in

Japan has had a profound effect
building development practically the
whole of Japan is rugged hill country
and some four fifths of the entire
area is occupied by forest and wild
vegetation. The land however, is one
of vey great natural beauty.

G e o g r a p h i c a l I n fl u e n c e s

Bamboo is plentiful, and extensively used in

building.
Stone is mainly of volcanic origin and
unstratified. Stone is used tor foundation
work, or ir. polygonal form for the lower
portions of walling, upon which would be
erected an upper timber structure.
Granites and porphyries are well represented,
but there is dearth of lime and sandstone.

Climatic Infl uences

Japan is influenced by a cold

airstream from Asia in winter, and
by the incursion of warm moist air
from the pacific in the summer.
the mountainous nature of the
country, in conjunction with the
prevailing airstreams, conduces to
exceptionally
heavy
rainfall,
particularly in the summer.

H i s t o r i c a l , S o c i a l a n d Re l i g i o u s

Suiko period (a.d. 552-645)

Buddhism
became
firmly
established and the nation
tended
to
become
a
bureaucratic state with Chinese
laws and ceremonials.
Feudalism, at the height in 13th
c. recognized three groups, the
emperor and nobles, the
Shoguns with the military caste,

H i s t o r i c a l , S o c i a l a n d Re l i g i o u s

The Japanese have in the past tended

towards a self-imposed isolationism,
with
exclusion
of
all
fore1gn
intercourse.
Christianity was introduced in 1549 by
St. Francis Xavier. In 1614. All foreign
priests were expelled. The Spaniards
driven out in 1624, and Portuguese in
1638. For a period of almost 290 years,
Japan was closed to the outside world.

H i s t o r i c a l , S o c i a l a n d Re l i g i o u s

Commercial treaties with America and

European countries were, however,
entered into in 1854, when Japan left
the effect of American enterprise and
English institutions. Following these
contacts came wars with China and
Russia, while in 1914, Japan joined the
alliance against Germany; but in 1941
she s1ded the Axis powers.

H i s t o r i c a l , S o c i a l a n d Re l i g i o u s

SHINTO

was the Chinese name for the

indigenous polydaemonism which existed in
Japan before the introduction of Buddhism. Image
worship or elaborate temple buildings were
uncalled for. The native Shinto faith was
profoundly affected by Buddhism, introduced
from the Chinese mainland.
A.D. 550 Buddhism encouraged the erection of
temples and its mystic symbolism inspired the
artistic Japanese temperament to the production
of countless images of every possible size and
fantastic forms

Social stratification in Feudal Japan

Japanese architecture
Traditionally been typified by wooden
structures, elevated slightly off the ground,
with tiled or thatched roofs.
Sliding doors (f u s u m a ) were used in place
of walls, allowing the internal configuration
of a space to be customized for different
occasions.
People usually sat on cushions or otherwise
on the floor, traditionally; chairs and high
tables were not widely used until the 20th
century.

J a p a n e s e a rc h i t e c t u r e

Major events that change

the history of Japanese
The
architecture:
first was the Kami and
Buddhas Separation Act of 1868,
which
formally
separated
Buddhism
from
Shinto
and
Buddhist temples from Shinto
shrines, breaking an association
between the two which had lasted
well over a thousand years and

J a p a n e s e a rc h i t e c t u r e

Second, it was then that Japan underwent a

period of intense Westernization in order to
compete with other developed countries. Initially
architects and styles from abroad were imported
to Japan but gradually the country taught its own
architects and began to express its own style.
However, it was not until after the Second World
War that Japanese architects made an impression
on the international scene, firstly with the work of
architects likeKenzo Tange and then with
theoretical movements likeMetabolism.

Prehis to ric Perio d

J O M O N PERIOD
Y A Y O I PERIOD
K O F U N PERIOD

JOMON PERIOD
JOMON PERIOD
The typical Jomon
house was pit house
that had a main pillar,
whose hole was dug
the
widest
and
deepest
into
the
ground,
that
was
surrounded by other
wooden
upright
supporting posts.

Earlier pit houses

were round.

JOMON PERIOD
Later houses had
square or rectangular
floors with rounded
corners.

This one has a smoking

ditch beside the entrance.
(Reconstructed pit house,
Kushiro Marsh, Hokkaido)

(Reconstructed pit house,

Tokyo Maibun Archaeological
Center, Kawasaki City,
Kanagawa)

JOMON PERIOD

The roofs, supported by

five or six posts and a
central
pillar,
were
thatched
with
kaya
(miscanthus) grass that
helped drain off rainwater
into
the
surrounding
ditches.

Later pit houses became square

with rounded off corners
(Reconstructed pit house,
Kushiro Marsh, Hokkaido)

The earthen
floors
tamped
hard,
were
sometimes
sunk half a
metre
into
the ground,
or
sometimes
covered
in
flagstone.

Indoor
fireplaces were
common
as
were
storage
pits
and
smoking
ditches.

JOMON PERIOD
Apart from thecommon pit dwelling
houses,
some
settlements
had
raisedbuildings
that
were
probably
storage houses or warehouses. Hundreds
of theseraised storage housesand more
than 800 pit houses were found at the site
of the Sannai Maruyama village. In
addition, thelarge buildingRaised
with
huge
warehouse
beside
dwelling on the
columnsis an outstanding apit
architectural
Omusaro Plateau near
feature of the Sannai-Maruyama
ruins.
Monbetsu

JOMON PERIOD

Longhouses were built in the largest settlementsof the Jomon era.

At the Aizu-Wakamatsu site in Fukushima prefecture, longhouses
were excavated froma ring-shaped settlement surrounded by
drainage ditches that was ofthe Middle Jomon periodbetween
4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Threefireplaces fit one longhouse.

Woodworking was an important

craft or skill for the Jomon
people, used for making dugout
canoes, wooden vessels and
especially
for
building.The
Jomon people made wooden
frames for the walls of storage

Woodworking was an
important craft or skill
for the Jomon people,
used
for
making
dugout
canoes,
wooden vessels and
especially
for
building.The
Jomon
people made wooden
frames for the walls of
storage pits and for
the posts of their
buildings.

YAYOI PERIOD
During the Yayoi period
(400B.C.300A.D.),several
architectural advances
were made in their
buildings.
The Yayoi people built
many elevated buildings
orbuildings that were
raised
above
the
ground,
withthe
buildingssupported by
six or seven posts.

Raised warehouse
building at Karako Kagi
site

YAYOI PERIOD
This advanced type of architecture
wasbuilt with wooden beams made of planks
of a regular shape, with floors, doors
andslanted supporting poles.

Storehouse, Otsu village,

Yokohama (Photo: Heritage
of Japan)

Inside the storehouse

(Photo: Heritage of
Japan)

YAYOI PERIOD
A
very
sophisticated
method
called
the
mortise
and
tendon
method wasused to join
the wooden beams, so
experts think the people
already had iron tools.

Beam joining's inside

Yayoi residence (Photo:
Heritage of Japan

They also had wooden

discs
that
were
protective
devices
against rats attached to
the posts just under the
floor as well as at the
top of the entrance
ladder,
a
design
common in buildings in
Southeast Asia.

YAYOI PERIOD
Other Yayoi architecturally
advanced forms were the
buildings that hadirimoya
thatched roofs that flared out
at the sides. This flared roof
style became the style for Large dwellings were
residences or palaces (miya) built for important
forshaman
leaders, rulers. Yoshinogari
chiefsand other elite tribal Village
Flared roof of
members of society.
chieftains
residence, Otsu
village

YAYOI PERIOD

Humbler

4 types of house carved on the

ancient mirror
KAOKU MONKYO
dwellings were built over

shallow pits like homes of the earlier Jomon

period. However, unlike Jomon pit houses,
many Yayoi buildings did not have indoor
fireplaces and so must have been colder
residencesthan those of the Jomon period.

Onaka site, Harima Town,

Hyogo Prefecture Yayoi Period
residence resembling earlier
Jomon homes

Pit houses were of two

kinds: round pit houses
(influenced by building
styles
in
theKorean
peninsula), and square
pit houses with rounded
off corners (continued in
the Jomon tradition).

Excavated Yayoi
residence, Otsu
village

YAYOI PERIOD
S U R FA C E
D W E L L I N G S the
dwellings werebuilt on
the surface instead of at
subdiluvial
level.
A
double skirting wall of
30
cm
was
first
builtaround the building
and then the space
between the walls filled
in with earth. This
techniqueprobably
worked tokeepout the
damp.Technically, the

Surface dwelling at Toro

site, Shizuoka

YAYOI PERIOD
At Tawaramoto Town in Nara
prefecture,
theKarako-Kagi
ruins consists of a Ya y o i
E R A T O W E R that is a
two-storey
building
(12.5
metershigh and 4 meters by
5 meters) The towers four
main pillars were constructed
of cedar wood and were 50
cm in diameter.

The tower had a thatched

roof, held in placeby logs
that looklike the spokes of
a wheel.The outer walls
were made of wickerwork
while the inner walls were
board-lined. Carved
ladders gave access to the
tower.

YAYOI PERIOD
At Yoshinogari, the largest of Yayoi sites in Japan, there is
evidence that many large residences for local chiefs and
leaders, meeting and ceremonial halls, raised floor
granaries were constructed. It is thought that many
structures
such
as
W AT C H T O W E R S
and
the
E N C L O S I N G PA L I S A D E S (fences with sharp stakes)
had been constructed for defensive purposes.
Reconst
ructed
Reconstru
watchto
cted
wer
Yoshinoga
building
ri village,
,
Ceremoni
Yoshino
al hall
gari site
(Left),

Watchtow
er (Right)

KUFON PERIOD
While commoners continued to live in pit dwellings similar
to those of the Jomon and Yayoi eras, important and
wealthier people built larger and even multi-storied
buildings for themselves, often in fenced-around
compounds that separated the ruling elite from the
common people. Palace-like residences came to be built as
royal estates were being established during the Kofun age
not only in the city or town centers, but also in the outlying
provinces.
But the raised floors used in storehouses became
incorporated into the residences of local chieftains and
other high-ranking persons. The raised floor dwelling
became a mark of social status for Kofun people in western
Japan and the Osaka area. Decorative features of
architecture diversified taking onmany experimental
forms.

KUFON PERIOD

Reconstitution of a Kofun Era

warehouse.

Japanese
Architectural
Characters

A rc h i t e c t u r a l C h a r a c t e r

The architecture of Japan was largely derived

from China, but at all times maintained its
own special characteristic of lightness and
delicacy. Combined with minutes in carving
and decoration are particularly noticeable in
timber construction.
Dominant roof forms a striking contrast with
practice in the middle east and India where
flat terrace roofs predominate. Characterized
by their exquisite curvature supported a
succession of simple or compound brackets.

A rc h i t e c t u r a l C h a r a c t e r

ROOF
The upper part of the roof is
terminated by a gable placed
vertically above the end walls,
known as an 'lrimoya gable, while
the lower part of the main roof is
carried round the ends of the
building in a hipped form.

Kibitsu-zukuri
Also called hiyoku irimoya-zukuri
( , paired wing hip-andstyle)
- gable
a roof
traditional
Japanese Shinto
architectural
style
characterized by
four
dormer
gables, two per
lateral side, on
the roof of a very
large
HONDEN
(sanctuary)

R O O F
Roof coverings can
be thatch, shingles
or tiles.
Thatched roofs often
have prominent ridge of
tiles
with
an
exaggerated
cresting,
or the ridge may be of
stout bamboos, tied
with blackened rope and
terminated with finials.

R O O F
Tiled
roofs
have
flattish and roll t iles
alternately,
while
cover tiles, often of
decorative form are
used to mask joints at
the eaves. Ridges and
hips are made up of
layers of tiles set in
mortar, finished with
large moulded tile
capping
and

R O O F
Ridges and hips are made
up of layers of tiles set in
mortar, finished with large
moulded tile capping and
cresting's. A lower roof
known as "Hisashi" Is
sometimes projected below
the eaves of the main roof.
Hollowed bamboos, are
used to form roof gutters
and pipes. Gables ends
often have cusped bargeboards with pendants .

R O O F

Traditional Houses

C O LU M N S
Follows the Chinese form,
are
conspicuous
in
Japanese temples and in
facades
to-places
and
gateways.
intercolumniation
is
regulated by the standard
of measurement known as
the 'KEN' which is divided
into twenty parts, termed,
minutes, and each minute
being again divided into a
further twenty two parts or
seconds of space.

C O LU M N S
Columns when square, are panelled and
when round or octagonal are reeded and
often richly lacquered. Even when plain,
columns are objects of beauty as timber
was split by wedges and smoothed with a
spear-shaped plane known as 'Yariganna'
which left a beautiful finish.
Most houses are constructed of woodframing with wood or stout paper infilling,
which in an earthquake shock is much
safer than stone or brick construction.

C O LU M N S
Curved
brackets
(Kumo-Hijiki) adorn
the underside of
the
overhanging
eaves.

C O LU M N S
Temple walling is a strictly
trabeated arrangement of timber
posts and rails dividing surfaces
into regular oblong spaces, filled in
with plaster, boarding, or carved
and painted panels.
Trabeated - the beam forms the
constructive feature.

Native Japanese
Architecture

Native Japanese Architecture

One of the most primitive and holy

of the Shinto designs, the l z u m o
s h r i n e shares with the Yayoi
house model the beetling gables,
gable-end entrance (contrasting with
the Chinese main-facade entry) and
the peculiar round timbers balanced
on the ridge. The crossing and
projection of the gable rafters is a
feature
no
less
primitive,
consecrated in the design.
The shrines as they exist today are
poems of carpentry. The subsequent
solution of Shinto temple design
combined these initial forms with
style adopted from the Chinese.

N a t i v e J a p a n e s e a r c h i t e c t u re

light is introduced principally through

doorways. A system of cornice-bracketing in
both simple and complex forms is a very
characteristic feature of Japanese buildings.
above the pillars or columns is a highly
decorated frieze, and above this, the
bracketing consists of a series of projecting
wooden corbels supporting horizontal
members and rafters with decorated faces,
thus allowing the roof to overhang the wall,
often by as much as 2.4 meters (8ft.).

N a t i v e J a p a n e s e a r c h i t e c t u re

The disposition of columns, posts, brackets, and

rafters forming the cornice is in accordance with
well-recognized modules of measurement, while
intercolumniation is governed by the Ken.
Buildings are stilted upon stone piles to a height
which would ensure timber being above ground
water during the rainy season.
The undersides of beams are frequently
cambered to. avoid any impression of sagging,
while piers and columns are given a refined
e n t a s i s and frequently an inward inclination to
mitigate the effects of earthquake shocks.

N a t i v e J a p a n e s e a r c h i t e c t u re

C a m b e r - slight rise or
upward curve of an otherwise
horizontal structure.
E n t a s i s - a swelling or
curving outwards along the
outline of a column shaft
designed to counteract the
optical illusion which give a
shaft bounded by street lines
the appearance of curving
inside. (right)

N a t i v e J a p a n e s e a r c h i t e c t u re

Window -openings are filled with timber

trellis and provided with wooden shutters
externally, and paper-usually rice paper in
light sahes, internally, in all cases, exterior
walling is extremely thin; columns receive
the main load from the roof and wall panels
are entirely non-structural.
Carved and coloured panels formed in
enclosure walls, in projecting eaves to roofs,
and in the 'r a m m a ' or pierced ventilators
below cornices are characteristic.

N a t i v e J a p a n e s e a r c h i t e c t u re

In friezes, panels in high relief occur,

representing cloud forms and objects of
natural beauty. The chrysanthemum,
the stork and pine trees being typical
subjects for motifs.
Ornamental brass caps, usually gilded
for preservation, are frequently fixed to
the ends of projecting timbers and over
connections in wood to hide open joints
which may occur through shrinkage.

N a t i v e J a p a n e s e a r c h i t e c t u re

Colour decoration is applied to both

exteriors and interiors of Japanese temples.
Beams, brackets and carving are picked out
in gilding and bright colours-blue, green,
purple, madder and vermillion-paintings
depict animal forms, insects birds, flowers.

N a t i v e J a p a n e s e a r c h i t e c t u re

Subjects for decoration

are birds, tree attended
by idealistic mountain,
cloud and water forms.
The Japanese are noted
for their meticulous
treatment of detail.

Examples

TEMPLES
Shinto temples can be
distinguished
from
Buddhist
by
the
characteristic "T O R I I "
or g a t e w a y s formed by
upright posts supporting
two or more horizontal
beams, under which, it
was
considered,
worshippers must pass for
prayers to be effectual

"Otorii", the first gate to

the Toshogu Shrine.
Tochgi Perfecture, Japan
1636.

TEMPLES
To s h o g u S h r i n e

TEMPLES
ISE SHRINE

ISE SHRINE: South gateway of third

fence of Naiku,
the inner shine. Near lse-City, Japan.
3rd century. A.D.

TEMPLES
Buddhism foundations are entered through an
elaborate two-storeyed gateway, surmounted
by a monument room under and ornate roof.

Temples usually have a columned loggia,

either round three sided or forming a facade
to the main building.
Frequently there is a portico over the
approach steps which rest upon timber
columns, held together at the top by
horizontal tie beams.
In large temples and halls, the interior
columns
are
provided
with
elaborate
compound bracketing to support the roof.

TEMPLES
L o g g i a - an arcaded or roofed
gallery built into or projecting from the
side of a building particularly one over
looking an open court .

PAGODAS
- Pagodas in Japan are called t (pagoda),
sometimes b u t t (Buddhist pagoda) or t b a
(pagoda) and historically derive from the Chinese
pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian stupa.
- Square plan, mostly five-storeyed and about 45
meters (150 feet) in height. In construction they
are virtually suspended around a central timber,
thus providing a measure of stability against
earthquake shocks. The ground storey contains
images and shrines, while the upper storeys serve
as ' b e l v e d e r e s ' there are wide projecting roofs
to each storey and the subtle curvature
distinguishes them from Chinese examples.
*Belvederes - an open roofed gallery in an upper storey
built for giving view of the scenery.

PAGODAS
T - came to mean also "tower" in the western
sense.
example: Eiffel tower (Efferu-t).
Mokut - wood pagoda
Sekit - stone pagoda
sanj-no-t - pagodas with more than two
storeys
goj-no-t - five-storeyed pagoda
Tast - more than one storey pagodas
Tajt - multi-storied pagoda
Ken - pagoda's size unit of measurement

PAGODAS
Wooden five-story pagoda
of Hry-ji in Japan, built
in the 7th century, one of
the
oldest
wooden
buildings in the world.

Japan's oldest threestoreyed pagoda at

hokki-ji, Ikagura, Nara
Pref.It was built in

PAL ACES/CASTLE ( Shiro)

The imperial palaces were of a simple
type, consisting of a principal hall,
joined by corridors to three separate
pavilions for the family of the Emperor.
From the sixteenth century, palaces
were protected by walls of masonry,
often formed with a batter, concave on
the external face, and with tilted quoin
stones, to resist earthquake shocks a
moat invariably encircled the walls.

PAL ACES/CASTLE ( Shiro)

Ts u y a m a C a s t l e

Built: 1441-1444; major expansions 1603-1616

has around 5000 cherry
blossom trees that attract
people from all over
western Japan when they
bloom.

Traditional Japanese Houses

The Japanese love of nature is the single force that

influences life in Japan. The Japanese respect nature, and to
respect nature is to live nature's way. Not only does the
Japanese nation have a close rapport with nature, but these
people experience beauty in nature beyond nature's
outward appearance. Such is the influence of Zen
Buddhism.
Japanese architecture is largely considered a realistic
response to the natural environment. Thus the extensive
use of unpainted wood without any surface treatment. And
in Japan's use of wood, no other architecture reveals so
convincingly its structural and aesthetic qualities.

Traditional Japanese Houses

HOUSES
Japanese houses are entered through a vestibule and have a
verandah, "(engawa"), living, dining and guest rooms, with a
recess for flowers and art treasures.
There are rooms for hosts and hostess, but not bedrooms in
the usual sense, no distinction being made between living and
sleeping apartments because all bedding, the threefold
mattress and thick quilt called futon -are stored in closets
during the day.
Rooms are regulated in size by floor mats or 'Tatami' used as
floor coverings, and measuring one 'ken' about 1.8 m (6ft.) by
a half ken
A typical middle-class dwelling, except where a central court is
introduced, is planned as a simple rectangle.

Traditional Japanese Houses

Usually one storey high, with entrance, ante rooms, living

rooms, kitchen (with scullery). Called 'daidokoro' with a big fire
place over which to hang a pot.
Store rooms and gardens -a separate small fire-resisting
structure, known as a 'go-down', is built for storage of valuables.
Walling is formed by light timber vertical posts and horizontal
members covered with weather boarding.
Interior partitions are formed with light movable timber frames,
with an infilling of stout translucent paper, 18. m (6ft.) in height.
The friezes above being plastered or wood lined. These screens
can be slid aside-maximum flexibility in planning being a
characteristic of Japanese dwellings, while the external
(verandah) partitions can be similarly re-arranged, or removed
to permit the entire house to be open to the garden.

Traditional Japanese Houses

Tokonomas', a special feature of traditional

Japanese houses, used to display a flower
arrangement or a selected art treasure. The
Tokonoma is a place for meditation and art.
Whenthe family entertains, the honored guest is
placed just in front of the tokonoma, with his or her
back to it, so that the guest, the scroll and the
ikebana make a charming and harmonious picture.
Since the tokonoma does not occupy the entire
width of a wall, another recess next to it is occupied
by decorative shelves and cabinets (tana).

Traditional Japanese Houses

Hakoniwa (box garden) suffices to separate the house from the

outside.
genkan, that indispensable entrance room or foyer, with floor qf
concrete or cen:1ent, or pebbles set in cement. In the genkan,
everyone must remove his foot wear
Zashiki (reception room) is the platform in Japan for indoor
living -for work, for reflection or meditation, for leisure activities,
for family councils. for artistic endeavors and for entertainment.
Kotatsu-a low Japanese table is placed over a sunken square.
Chanoma is a family room, space for tea, like a corridor, where
the family gathers around a traditional charcoal brazier
(hibachi).
Budsudan- is the imperative for a Buddhist altar.
Toko -floor

Traditional Japanese Houses

*BONSAI Plant
or dwarf tree is
an almost
perfect
reflection of
Japanese
culture. Two to
three feet tall,
and epitomizes
the beauty of
nature. A tree
can easily be
100 or 200

Tea Houses

Developed in the kamakura period as a result

of the aesthetic doctrine of Zen Buddism
which permeated Japanese thought and
resulted in the 'tea-ceremony' (chanoyu)
garden cultivation and flower arrangement.
The tea house represents a most exclusive
Japanese social institution, and was the resort
of the most sophisticated and fashionable
world.
Tea houses are maintained solely for the cult
of the tea-drinking ceremony, associated with
contemplation and appreciation of the arts. .

Tea Houses

Typically and stylistically indigenous,

they are normally small in scale, the
size regulated by mats, often down to
single-mat room, barely 1.8 m x 1 m
(6ft. x 3ft.) and always with the
recess or Tokonoma. Architecturally,
the greatest care is lavished on these
tea room proper (chasitsur) while no
detail of lighting, ventilation or
decoration is neglected.

Tea Houses

Bath Houses

The typical Japanese inn closely resembles the

large private house. but it is invariably planned
round a central courtyard. In larger examples,
upper floors are provided with connecting
galleries.
Appreciation of the importance of personal
hygiene is strongly marked in the Japanese
character.
Since the daily bath is about the most significant
ritual for the japanese people, the bath (ofuro)
plays a most important part in their lives. .

Bath Houses