JAPANESE

ARCHITECTURE
 GATES
-Exploring Japanese
architecture means passing
through gates. Every
shrine, temple, castle,
and villa has one or more
gateways, ranging from
simple stone torii outside
neighborhood shrines to
elaborate wooden temple
gates that feel like
buildings in their own
right and take several
seconds to pass through.
 SHRINES
-Shinto, Japan’s
indigenous
religion,
emphasizes the
worship of the
natural world and
the Kami—deities or
sacred forces—
who inhabit it.

Ise Jingu
Date: 4 C.E. (claimed, Naiku), 477 (Geku), ritual rebuilding starting in the 7th century
Location: Ise, Mie Prefecture
Sanctuaries lie nestled in the forest
that fills the expansive shrine
complexes amidst fog, ponds, dripping
water, and bird calls. Tree branches
and folded paper strips indicate
sacred spaces throughout the forest,
and from time to time an important
rock or tree is roped off for
protection. Damaged trees are patched
with bark. Even full of visitors
traveling along a broad gravel path,
the forest feels wild compared to the
controlled, consciously designed
gardens that fill Japan’s temples and
cities. The buildings look well-made,
with careful, tight-fitting joints
and wood cut at exact angles, but
also purposefully simple and
unadorned. They create a place to
stop and contemplate the forest, and
life, without drawing attention to
themselves.
Itsukushima Jinja
Date: probably 9th century, rebuilt in current form 12th century, rebuilt 16th century (NohStage rebuilt 1875)
Location: Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima), Hiroshima Prefecture
Water and location make the
shrine magical. A long,
bright orange walkway
guides visitors over the
bay, past the central
shrine and a Noh stage, and
onto the shore at the other
side. A steep, green
mountainside rises from the
island behind the shrine.
Water adds the smell of wet
wood, the ripples of light
dancing on the ceiling
beams, the sound of waves
splashing, and the
impression that the pathway
is swaying slightly. The
air feels fresh and clean.
The Noh stage extends out
from the shore into the
center of an open rectangle
of corridor. Watching
performances across a small
stretch of water must have
been amazing.
 Fushimi Inari
Date: 8th century Location: Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
 REBUILDING
Stories of temples
reconstructed several times
over the centuries abound, as
do examples of buildings which
burned down soon after
construction, over a thousand
years ago, only to be rebuilt
immediately. People often say a
temple is as old as its
original buildings, even if all
those buildings were destroyed
and reconstructed centuries
later.

Buildings reconstructed at different times at Yashukuji temple outside Nara

 TEMPLES
Buddhism first
arrived in Japan from
Korea and China in
the 6th century.
Temple architecture
was imported at
roughly the same
time.

Buddhism first arrived in Japan from Korea and China in the 6th century. Temple architecture was imported at roughly the same time,
and the first Buddhist temple complex was probably Asukadera, constructed between 588 and 596 and no longer standing.
Horyu-ji
Date: 607, burned 670, rebuilt late 7th or early 8th century, some parts destroyed and rebuilt since
Location: Nara, Nara Prefecture
Todai-ji
Date: 760, destroyed 1180, rebuilt late 12th century, Great Buddha Hall rebuilt identically around 1700 Location: Nara, Nara Prefecture
Todaiji’s Great Buddha Hall, or Daibutsuden, the largest
wooden building in the world, was originally fifty percent
larger. The mighty Nara era complex also originally included
two 100m pagodas, far taller than any that exist today. The
scale today astounds visitors; the original temple must have
demanded awe.
Tō-ji (Kyō-ō-gokokuji Temple)
Date: 794 and onwards, most recently rebuilt 1644 (pagoda), 1603 (Kondō), 1596-1615(Kōdō), 1380
(Miei-dō)
Location: Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

-A modern and for the most part not particularly attractive city, it tends to
confuse foreign visitors who expect geishas and tea ceremonies and temples to
sweep them away from the start.
-it rose dramatically above a graceful garden and turtle pond.
-The carved Buddha and attendants inside look majestic but approachable; the
room matches them in scale.
WOODEN JOINTS
 TEMPLES II

Byodo-in
Date: Phoenix Hall, 1053
Location: Uji, Kyoto Prefecture
Byodo-In Temple
Pure Land Buddhism emerged in Japan during the Heian
period, growing in popularity so much so that the monk Honen
founded an official Pure Land sect in the 12th century. In
contrast to other forms of Buddhism, which emphasize the
extreme difficulty of attaining enlightenment, Pure Land
Buddhism asserts that anyone can achieve rebirth in the
Western Paradise—a land full of Boddhisattvas from which it is
much easier to attain enlightenment—simply through the
devoted repetition of Amida Buddha’s name. Offering, in a
sense, a shortcut to enlightenment and a more accessible form
of Buddhist practice, it spread widely and is now the most
popular form of Buddhism in Japan.
Sanjusanjendō (Rengeō-in Temple)
Date: 1164, rebuilt 1266
Location: Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
 Kodai-ji
Date: 1605
Location: Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Nishi Honganji
Date: 1591, Goeido (Founder’s Hall) rebuilt
1636 and Amidado (Hall of Amida Buddha)
rebuilt 1760
Location: Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
The head temple of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist
tradition, Nishi Honganji dazzles with
opulence. The glamour builds slowly as you
walk in the large front gate. An elaborate
golden lantern glows in front of the dark wood.
Delicately carved wooden panels and
metalwork decorate the gate’s surfaces.
Outside the two large halls, curved beams,
intricate connections, and gold-plated lacquer
work offer a taste of what will follow. A raised
walkway connects the Founder’s Hall and the
Hall of Amida Buddha. Structural members end
in carved flowers and elephant heads.
 GARDENS
-”Japanese gardens taught me the
value of exploring without
regret.”-Enscoe
-Paths fork, change directions,
and curve back into themselves
continuously, making systematic
exploration impossible.
-the intricate gardens are best
wandered quietly, impulsively,
and with a willingness to
experience the garden’s
beauty as it unfolds
-The combination of intricacy and
divergent paths fills garden
exploration with a heightened
sense of discovery.

The garden at Kinkaku-ji villa in Kyoto

 VILLAS

Rich families often invested vast resources in

designing and constructing elaborate villas,
both for private use and for business. Upper
class Japanese families tended to value high
quality architecture and had the means to
make lofty architectural concepts a reality.
They also built structures to last. As a result,
their villas serve as some of the best
preserved and most fully realized examples of
past architectural eras.

Ginkaku-ji villa in Kyoto

Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa (Katsura Detached Palace)
Date: 1615-1650s or 1660s, probably remodeled since
Location: Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
The Sukiya style perhaps best
captures popular images of
traditional Japanese
architecture. In Sukiya, tatami
mats, shoji screens, and rough
wooden members create an
intricate yet understated living
space, presenting carefully
planned views of the outside
world. Developed in the 16th and
17 centuries, Sukiya melded
th

formal Shoin residential

architecture and tea ceremony
art and architecture into the
design of elegant places for the
nobility to spend their daily lives.
 WOOD
-Wood and related products—paper, straw,
and bamboo—have pervaded Japanese
architecture since ancient times.
-The importance of wood accounts for the
frequency of destruction as well as the
feasibility of repeated rebuilding
projects.
-The presence of the wooden products
themselves matters deeply as well. Rooms
feel warm and light even without windows.
-Wood favors certain structural forms and
construction techniques over others. The
simplest wooden buildings have column and
beam structural systems, which serve as
the dominant system in traditional
Japanese architecture.
 CASTLES

Castles existed in Japan at least as early as the

8th century, and wartime structures were
constructed even earlier. Site conditions evolved
over time. Initially, castles were built on
mountaintops for defense, but trade
considerations eventually led feudal lords to
construct castles in open areas, either on a hill
above a plain or on the plain itself.
Himeji-jo
Date: 1609
Location: Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture

• Himeji, known as Shirasagi or

White Egret Castle for its
white plaster walls, is often
referred to as the most
magnificent or most elegant
of the surviving Japanese
castles.

• The five story (plus a sixth

floor below ground) main
donjon rises 31m above a
45m hill, overlooking three
smaller towers, numerous
corridors, gates, and turrets,
and a surrounding moat.
Matsumoto-jo
Date: c. 1596
Location: Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture

• The second oldest,

Matsumoto-jo, dates to
circa 1596 and stands in
a flat plain with a view
of the Japan Alps. A
three-story tower, two
story turret, and moon-
viewing pavilion connect
to the five story main
donjon, all sharing one
stone foundation.

• is built using distinctly

older construction
methods than those of
later castles.
TATAMI MATS
-They filled temples, villas,
tea houses, restaurants,
ryokans, and hostels. They
change the tone of rooms and
the way people enter buildings:
visitors leave their shoes at
the entrance and pad forward
softly in socks or bare feet.
-Tatami mats brighten floors
and add soft lines as well as
the deep colors of their fabric
borders. They mark off space,
dividing floors into sections
of regular sizes. In other
formal architecture, tatami mat
dimensions—roughly 1m by 2m—
dictate room sizes and column
spacings, tying rooms together
with a sense of coherent
proportion.
RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE

Aside from rich families’ villas, little traditional

residential architecture remains in Japan. Middle
class and poor families’ houses were not intended
to last many centuries, and the vast majority has
been destroyed over the years. A few preserved
districts and houses, however, offer glimpses of
the daily life of merchants, samurai, and farmers.
Sanmachi district
Date: Late 16th-17th century

Location: Takayama, Gifu Prefecture

• The preserved Sanmachi

district provides a glimpse of
what the castle town of
Takayama must have felt like
400 years ago.

• Buildings are similar in form—

dark wood, long storefronts,
shōji screens, bamboo shades,
and wooden lattices—but
unique in detail.
 Overhangs that extend above the first story and above an open roof
area, however, give the buildings the illusion of having two stories.
Kakunodate samurai district
Date: 17th century

Location: Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture

Samurai district was perhaps the greenest

neighborhood with lush gardens and trees spilling
high over dark wooden fences and gates.

The samurai residences are designed to be adaptable.

• Tatami mats cover most
floors, wooden floorboards
others.

• The dominance of
rectangular forms and
dimensions based on
tatami mats provide a
sense of coherence.
LAYERS, DETAIL, MATERIALS

-Traditional Japanese construction

demonstrates an extremely high
level of craft and attention to
detail.

-Exposed joints look beautiful.

Concrete cuts off smoothly half an
inch back from all sides of an x-
shaped steel column. Glass
façades connect to concrete
columns with appealing, well-oiled
steel bolts.
MUSEUMS (AND AN AQUARIUM)

Museums fill Japanese towns and cities. In addition to art,

science, and archeological museums, interested visitors can
find a Tobacco and Salt Museum, a Coal Mine Museum, a
Ramen Museum, and a Japanese Overseas Migration Museum,
among others.
Museums, aquariums, and other public works can
incorporate unusual architecture with a strong impact on
visitors. People can explore museums that intentionally make
them feel strange, overwhelmed, or dazzled.
Tokyo Sea Life Park
Architect: Yoshio Taniguchi
Date: 1989
Location: Tokyo

The Tokyo Sea Life Park is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with
last admission at 4 p.m. It is also closed on Wednesdays.
Admission costs 700 yen (about P325) for adults and 250 yen
(around P100) for kids.
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Architect: SANAA
Date: 2004
Location: Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
• Inner corridors laced dramatically • The outer corridors
between galleries, offering views of reconnected to the park,
interior gardens and ceilings open to drawing attention outwards.
the sky.
COMPETING FOR ATTENTION
-Buildings in Japanese cities—
especially Tokyo—must compete fiercely
to stand out. High building density
and a general willingness to invest in
flashy architecture raise the price of
glory to impressive levels.

-The most unique competition comes not

from tall buildings but from the glitzy
buildings that line Tokyo’s shopping
districts of Ginza and Omotesando.
Dramatic structures and shimmering
facades begin to blur together. A tall,
shining glass cylinder looks
commonplace.
 MODERN
Japan’s vibrant modern architecture scene
incorporates world famous architects, investment
in innovation, and widespread collaboration
between architects, engineers, and contractors.
The highly seismic environment also makes Japan
one of the most interesting places in the world to
study earthquake engineering, both in academia
and in practice.

Japanese cities revealed a variety of modern

architectural styles and an exciting array of
innovative structures.
Mikimoto Ginza 2
Architect: Toyo Ito
Date: 2005
Location: Tokyo

• Mikimoto Ginza 2 stands out by looking different. In the

middle of the jumbled chaos of Tokyo’s Ginza district, it
cannot compete in size, motion, sheen, or drama, but it
certainly manages to catch the eye nonetheless.

• The column-free interior features natural light and bubble-

shaped views of the outside world. The enticing round
windows draw visitors to the outer walls to watch people
walk by on the street below.
 The Development of
Japanese Architecture

Historically, architecture in Japan was

influenced by Chinese architecture, although
the differences between the two are many.
Whereas the exposed wood in Chinese
buildings is painted, in Japanese buildings it
traditionally has not been. Also, Chinese
architecture was based on a lifestyle that
included the use of chairs, while in Japan
people customarily sat on the floor (a custom
that began to change in the Meiji period
[1868–1912]).
East pagoda of Yakushiji temple (Nara Pref.)
This pagoda was completed in AD 730.
 Horyuji temple
Hōryū-ji is a Buddhist temple
that was once one of the
powerful Seven Great
Temples, in Ikaruga, Nara
Prefecture, Japan

UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription 1993

Architectural Style
 The Shoin-zukuri Style
is a style of Japanese residential architecture used in
the mansions of the military, temple guest halls, and
Zen abbot's quarters of the Azuchi-
Momoyama (1568–1600) and Edo periods (1600–
1868). It forms the basis of today's traditional-style Ginkaku-ji's Tōgu-dō is the oldest extant example
Japanese house. of shoin-zukuri

 Shinden-zukuri
refers to the style of domestic architecture
developed for palatial or aristocratic mansion built
in Heian- Kyo(平安京, today’s Kyoto) in the Heian
period (794-1185), especially in 10th century Japan.
Model of the Higashi Sanjō-dono (ja), a typical shinden-
zukuri architectural complex (no longer extant).
 Sukiya-zukuri
Sukiya-zukuri (数寄屋造り) is one type of Japanese
residential architectural style. Suki means refined, well
cultivated taste and delight in elegant pursuits and refers to
enjoyment of the exquisitely performed tea ceremony.

Katsura Imperial Villa, Kyoto, an example of sukiya style

Buddhist Architecture
When Buddhism came to Japan in the sixth century, places
dedicated to the worship of Buddha were constructed, their
architectural forms originating in China and Korea. In each temple
compound, a number of buildings were erected to serve the
needs of the monks or nuns who lived there and, as importantly,
to provide facilities where worshippers could gather.
In the seventh century, a group of buildings comprised
seven basic structures:

- pagoda
- main hall
- lecture hall
- bell tower
- repository for sutras
- dormitory
Five-storied pagoda of Kofukuji (Japan's national
- and dining hall. treasure), Nara, Nara prefecture, Japan
Shinto Architecture
Followers of Shinto believe that a kami (deity) exists in virtually
every natural object or phenomenon, from active volcanoes and
beautiful mountains to trees, rocks, and waterfalls. Shinto shrines are
places where kami are enshrined, and also where people can worship.
With a few exceptions, the general blueprint of a Shinto shrine is
Buddhist in origin.[1] Before Buddhism, shrines were just temporary
structures erected to a particular purpose. Buddhism brought to Japan
the idea of permanent shrines and much of Shinto architecture's
vocabulary. The presence of verandas, stone lanterns, and elaborate
gates are examples of this influence.
The following is a diagram illustrating the most important elements of a
Shinto shrine.
 Torii - Shinto gate
 Stone stairs
 Sandō - the approach to the shrine
 Chōzuya or temizuya - fountain to cleanse one's hands and face
 Tōrō - decorative stone lanterns
 Kagura-den - building dedicated to Noh or the sacred kagura dance
 Shamusho - the shrine's administrative office
 Ema - wooden plaques bearing prayers or wishes
 Sessha/massha - small auxiliary shrines
 Komainu - the so-called "lion dogs", guardians of the shrine
 Haiden - oratory
 Tamagaki - fence surrounding the honden
 Honden - main hall, enshrining the kami. On the roof of the haiden
and honden are visible chigi (forked roof finials) and katsuogi (short
horizontal logs), both common shrine ornamentations.
Most common shrine styles
 Hirairi nagare-zukuri
The nagare-zukuri (流造 flowing style) or nagare hafu-zukuri (
流破風造 flowing gabled style) is a style characterized by a very
asymmetrical gabled roof (kirizuma-yane (切妻屋根) in Japanese)
projecting outwards on the non-gabled side, above the main Ujigami-jinja's Main Shrine (Japan's National Treasure) in
entrance, to form a portico (see photo). This is the feature which Uji, Kyoto prefecture, Japan. Ujigami-jinja was registered
as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic
gives the style its name, the most common among shrines all over monuments of ancient Kyoto"
the country.
 Kasuga-zukuri
Kasuga-zukuri (春日造?) is a traditional Shinto shrine
architectural style which takes its name from Kasuga Taisha's
honden. It is characterized by the use of a building just 1x1 ken in
size with the entrance on the gabled end covered by a veranda. In
Kasuga Taisha's case, the honden is just 1.9 m x 2.6 m.
The honden at Uda Mikumari Shrine Kami-gū is
made of 3 joined Kasuga-zukuri buildings
Design Concept
The interior of Japanese houses in the past was virtually open, without
even screens to partition off individual spaces.
SHOJI
BYOBU FUSUMA
JAPANESE VERANDA

-kind of transition space from inside

to outside the house.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the traditional house
is designed for people who are seated on the floor,
not standing. Doors, windows, and alcoves are
placed so that both artwork in the house and the
garden outside can be viewed appropriately from a
sitting position.
Modern
Architecture
-Modern architectural techniques
were introduced into Japan with the
launch of the Meiji Restoration in
1867.
-The first buildings to result from
this effort combined traditional
Japanese methods of wooden Kaichi Elementary School Built in 1876, this school
building in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, is a well-
construction with Western methods preserved example of the hybrid style used in the early
modern period of Japanese architecture.
and designs.
Frank Lloyd Wright

Imperial Hotel
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Locaton: Tobu World Square near
Nikko
Tange Kenzo
-one of Japan’s most famous and influential
postwar architect.
- managed to fuse traditional Japanese
architecture with scientific and technological
advancements.

Yoyogi National Stadium

for the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Skyscrapers
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Architect: Kenzo Tange
Construction started: 1988
Height: 243 m
Floors: 48
Landmark Tower
- is the second tallest building and 4th
tallest structure in Japan, standing
296.3 m high.
- It is located in the Minato Mirai 21
district of Yokohama city
KASUMIGASEKI BUILDING

-Architect: Kiyoshi Mutō

-36-story skyscraper located in
Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
-completed in 1968 using the
latest earthquake-resistant
technology
Tokyo Skytree
-the world's tallest, 634 meters, free-
standing broadcasting tower
Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower
Architect: Paul Noritaka Tange
Construction started: 2006
Height: 192 m, 204 m to tip
Floors: 50
Opera City Tower
Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Height: 222 m, 234 m to tip
Floors: 54
Architect: Yanagisawa Takahiko
Sompo Japan Head Office
Building
Architect: Yoshikazu Uchida
Construction started: 1973
Height: 200 m
Floors: 43
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
Height: 238 m
Floors: 54
Opened: 25 April 2003
Construction started: March 2000
Architect : Jon Jerde