Introduction to Japanese Architecture. David Young

88 Kurashiki: A Rice Merchant Town 92 The Important Role of Storehouses 94 The Mausoleums at Nikkō 96 Sukiya Style Villas and Palaces 100 Theaters and Sumo Rings 104 Japan in Transition 108 Pseudo-Western and Blended Styles 110 Residential Architecture in the Traditional Style 112 Inns in the Traditional Style Temples and Shrines in the 116 Traditional Style 118 Modern Architecture 122 Glossary 127 Bibliography 128

      Development of Traditional Architecture

      Japanese traditional architecture can be organized into several major genealogical groups on the basis of historical origins and stylistic influences. The most important group is composed primarily of palace, residential, and teahouse styles originating in prehistoric raised structures. Other major groups are commoner residences that evolved from prehistoric pit structures, Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, theaters, and castles. The diagram below has been simplified to emphasize major trends.

      Lookout tower at Yoshinogari, reconstructed Yayoi village.

      Tōgudō at Ginkakuji Temple, Kyoto.

      HISTORICAL PERIODS

      JŌMON

       10000-300 BCE

      YAYOI

       300 BCE—300 CE

      TOMB MOUND

       300-710 (overlaps with later periods)

      ASUKA

       538-645

       HAKUHŌ

       645-710

       NARA

       710-794

       HEIAN

       794-1185

       KAMAKURA

       1185-1333

       MUROMACHI

       1333-1573

      MOMOYAMA

       1573-1600

      EDO

       1600-1868

      TEXT SECTIONS

       PRE-BUDDHIST CULTURES

      Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto.

      Tōdaiji Temple, Nara.

      Basic Principles of Japanese Architecture

      Many architectural styles have developed over the course of Japan's long history. Nevertheless, there are several basic principles that can be found in the interesting but complex story told in the following pages. Some of these basic principles describe how core values have influenced the choice of building materials, techniques, and designs. Other principles emphasize cultural processes such as the relation between restraint and exuberance and a passion for preserving the past.

      The Japanese love of wood is illustrated in the Zenshitsu Hall at Gangōji Temple in Nara City.

      Preference for Natural Materials and Settings

      Traditional Japanese architecture is characterized by a preference for natural materials, in particular wood. Since wood can breathe, it is suitable for the Japanese climate. Wood absorbs humidity in the wet months and releases moisture when the air is dry. With proper care and periodic repairs, traditional post-and-beam structures can last as long as 1,000 years. Other natural building materials are reeds, bark, and clay used for roofing, and stones used for supporting pillars, surfacing building platforms, and holding down board roofs. Associated with the use of natural materials is a preference for straight lines, asymmetry, simplicity of design, and understatement, exemplified by pre-Buddhist Shinto shrines, farmhouses, teahouses, and tasteful contemporary interiors.

      There is also a preference for natural settings. After Buddhism was introduced from the continent, it was not long before the symmetry of Chinese temple compounds gave way to mountain temples with an asymmetrical layout.

      The wood carving on the bottom of the door, as well as the metal-work which graces an adjacent pillar, both part of a gate at Higashi Honganji Temple in Kyoto, illustrate the attention to detail that is typical of many traditional buildings.

      Restraint and Exuberance

      There is, however, another side to Japanese culture that is not as well known—the appreciation of exuberant colors and complexity of form—in contrast to the restrained tradition with its simplicity and asymmetry. This is exemplified by Chinese style shrines and temples and the mausoleums at Nikkō. Such buildings are characterized by a strong contrast between vermilion posts and white plastered walls, elaborate decorations, curved lines, symmetry, and the imposition of order upon nature. Both the restrained and exuberant traditions are favored at different times and places, depending upon the occasion. For example, ceremonial buildings are designed to impress and thus tend to be more exuberant than residential architecture, where the goal is to provide a tasteful and relaxed atmosphere.

      Attention to Detail

      Regardless of whether circumstances call for restraint or exuberance, Japanese architects, builders, artists, and craftspeople pay a great deal of attention to detail. Even when the overall effect of a building is simple, particularly when it is viewed from a distance, a close-up inspection of the building often reveals numerous details that add interest. Attention to detail applies to both technological and design features. For example, at the technological level, the intricate joinery of a traditional building allowed it to be assembled without nails and to be disassembled periodically for repairs. At the design level, the interlocking eave supports of a Buddhist temple can be quite complicated. The basic pattern of the brackets, however, is repeated over and over again to create a visual rhythm that is well integrated and unified.

      Twice destroyed by fire, the Daibutsuden (Great Hall) of Tōdaiji Temple in Nara is significantly smaller than the original. Still the largest wooden building in the world