ANCIENT JAPANESE

ARCHITECTURE
GROUP 3
 LOCATION.

• The islands of Japan stretch in an arc from thirty degrees to

approximately forty-six degrees North Latitude along the extreme
eastern end of the Asian continent. A mountain chain forms the
backbone of these islands with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the
Japan Sea on the other. The Fuji Volcanic Chain rising out of the
Pacific Ocean meets the mountain range along the backbone of the
islands.Around the centre of the archipelago at an angle cutting the
islands into two arcs north eastern and south-western.
Map of Japan
• The earliest inhabitants of the Japanese Islands to whom an
organized stone age culture may be ascribed were the Jomon
People, who probably reached Japan from the North and Central
Asian mainland via Korea. To those people of the Jomon period
were mixed several races who camefrom the Asian common,
Southeast Asia and Oceania.

THE
JOMON
PEOPLE
• Jomon culture reached its peak at about 3000 B.C. as
proven by the fine pottery moulded with originality out of
clay.The word Jomon itself means “ rope-pattern” a name
derived from the characteristic rope coils and patterns
with which their earthenware was decorated.
Earthenware was first made around these times and it is
the oldest pottery discovered in Japan, around nine
thousand years ago.
• Archeological evidence shows that they used stone, bone, and
shell implements in hunting, fishing, and “picking” edible wild
grasses. The Jomon culture continued for a very long period. It
was not a stagnant or immature society, but a mature society
with superior technology and rich spiritual elements. It can be
said to have reached the ultimate development of a hunting and
gathering culture.
• Since Jomon people are the direct ancestors of contemporary
Japanese people, it’s no exaggeration to say that contemporary
life is an extension of the Jomon culture. The Jomon achieved
one of the highest artistic levels of any Neolithic culture.
• A second immigration or invasion (also by the way of Korea)
brought the Yayoi people, named after the location in Tokyo
where their first archeological remains were found.

THE YAYOI
PEOPLE
Yayoi movement Jomon movement
• A vague mythology mixing with an inchoate pantheism had
gradually become organized into Shinto- “ the way of the
gods”- and natural sites with an air of grandeur or mystery
about them, obviously where the gods will be became places
of early Shinto worship. These were places of adoration and
identification, not of fear,for in Shinto the universe and all
existence, including man, were related and therefore partook
of divinity.
• The early inhabitants assigned gods to the natural
phenomena, life processes, and physical objects. The
paramount deity was Amaterasu-o-mi-kami, the Sun Goddess,
the source of life. She is worshipped at the Ise Inner Shrine
(Naiku).
Amaterasu-o-mi-kami
• Second only to the Sun Goddess and worshipped at a short distance
Naik away at an almost iidentical Outer Shrine (Geku) is Toyo-uke-
bime, the Goddess of Food, for whom the early Japanese devised an
offering, not of rich elaborate gifts, but of what was really important:
a sublimely nutritious diet consisting of four cups of water, sixteen
saucers of rice, four saucers of salt, fish, fowl, fruits, sea-weed and
vegetables.

• Buddhism was adopted in the eighth century as an official religion.

The true characteristics of Japanese art began to emerge after the
introduction of Buddhism and the accompanying religious arts. The
first period of Japanese Buddhist art is called the Asuka Period. The
first manifestations of the new enlightenment in Japan was the
construction of monasteries, which were not merely religious
cloisters, but also instruments for the propagation of advanced
civilization and, at the same time, artistic monuments revealing a
profoundly devout spirit.
Buddhist sculpture
• Painting flourished in Asuka Japan in association with
Buddhist temples. The Tamamushi Shrine is one of the only
surviving works of Asuka-era Buddhist painting, but there is
evidence of tomb painting as well. The walls of some tombs
were painted with images of Japanese life.

Buddhist painting on
the Tamamushi Shrine
DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF JAPANESE
ARCHITECTURE
• A word that is often used to describe all things Japanese: Zen.

• To be zen is to be relaxed, without worrying about things that

cannot be changed. It means informal, calm and peaceful.

• Unsurprisingly, Japanese design reflects exactly these

principles.

• When it comes to the home, it revolves around clean living.

It’s simplicity at its best.
Japanese aesthetic principles
1. Kanso
• Simplicity or lack of clutter.
• Things are expressed in a plain, simple, natural manner.
• Essentially, this principle refers to the fact that often leaving
something out or taking something away can actually add to
your space.
• Reminds us to think not in terms of decoration but in terms of
clarity.
SIMPLICITY AND MINIMALISM IS SEEN
2. SHIZEN
• The beauty of the natural form. Don’t look for artificial or
design that is “forced”.

• This principle isn’t about nature in its raw form but more
design using natural materials in a purposeful way.
The teahouse in Katsura Imperial Villa can be seen to naturally blend with the surrounding trees as the
chaotic elements of the trees and lake are managed with purpose to create a natural looking view.
3. Fukinsei

• Asymmetry or irregularity.
• The idea of controlling balance in a composition via
irregularity and asymmetry is a central tenet of the Zen
aesthetic.
• Things don’t have to balance in the literal sense – you
can find beauty in elements that don’t perfectly match or
don’t look complete.

ENSO
4. Yugen

• This principle takes on a few different forms.

• The art of the untold and unknown, is a foundational
Japanese spatial concept that is considered to blur the
self/space boundary.
• It describes the feeling you get when you see something
beautiful or hear something profound.
• So if we take that and put it into the context of your
home… do you feel Yugen when you walk into your living
space?
5. Shibui

• Beauty in the understated or subtle.

• Design doesn’t need to be over the top or elaborate to be

stunning.

• Items that are described as Shibui often appear to be simple

upon first glance but are actually made up of very subtle
details.
6. Seijaku

• Stillness, solitude, or finding energy in calm.

• Consider how you’d feel in a tranquil Japanese garden.

7. DATSUZOKU

• This principle describes the feeling of surprise and a bit

of amazement when one realizes they can have
freedom from the conventional.
ELEMENTS OF TRADITIONAL JAPANESE
ARCHITECTURE
1. WOOD
• The most prominent feature of traditional Japanese buildings is
the dominance of wood.
• This was preferred over stone and other materials, because of
the ever-present risk of earthquakes and it led to proper
ventilation to combat the climate and was durable in the face
of natural disaster.
• In Japanese houses, wood was given great respect and not
concealed by paint or other coatings.
• Further, many structures, especially temples and shrines,
refrain from using nails, instead, they shape the frames of the
building to fit like puzzle pieces, interlocking them together
sturdily this way known as tokyō.
Katsura Imperial Villa
2. ROOFS
• The curvy, elongated roofs of Japanese traditional architecture are a focal
point in most buildings.

• The eaves of roofs are designed so widely in order to protect windows

from heavy monsoon rain and hot summer sun in Japan.

• Intricate and symbolic kawara, (traditional roof tiles of Japan) commonly

adorn eaves, also protecting from rain.

• The roof, which tends to be thatch (older times) or tile (more modern
times), typically has a gentle curve and is supported by posts and lintels.
3. SHOJI AND FUSUMA
• Shōji (moveable screens) consist of wooden frames with translucent
paper tending to be light, allowing some natural light to shine
through and shadows, while fusuma paper (movable doors) is
opaque, therefore not allowing light to shine through.

Shoji Fusuma
4. TATAMI MATS
• Typically made of rice straw at the centre, with a covering of soft
rush straw, tatami mats were used for a large part of the flooring in
houses, providing a soft surface on which to sit and sleep .
5. VERANDA (ENGAWA)
• Older Japanese houses tend to have a raised wooden veranda that runs
around the outside edge of the house.
• This is called an engawa and is like an outdoor corridor. They are non-
tatami-matted flooring that resemble porches.
• Usually made of wood or bamboo.
6. GENKAN
• Are usually located inside a home, immediately in front of the door.
• Genkan serve as the area where shoes are placed before walking
inside the main part of the house.
• They are sunken lower than the floor in the rest of the house, in
order to keep dirt out, much like a mud room
7. TOKONOMA

• A niche or alcove in the wall of a Japanese house for the

display of a decorative art /objects.
8. RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE
• In Japanese culture, all life has meaning and value,
which is illustrated in their respect for nature.
• They strive to work in harmony with their natural
surroundings, as opposed to tame it.
• Homes and buildings are seen as one with nature, all
a part of the environment.
• There is no push or pull, just a flow of mutual
understanding between the man-made and natural.
 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DESIGN OF TRADITIONAL
JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE
A. NATURAL VENTILATION
• Cross ventilation through narrow and long passageways,
central and rear courtyards allowing flow of air.
• Japanese architecture is characterized by deep eaves to
keep the summer sun and heavy rain out of the house.
• Wide openings to let in the maximum amount of cool air in
the summer and warm sunlight in the winter, and long
corridors lead to the garden which serve as veranda in the
summer and sun rooms in the winter
B. NATURAL LIGHT

• The flexibility of space in these traditional Japanese designs allowed

the user to choose whether they wanted the room to be lit from
one or two sides, or not at all.
• This preference depended on the season.
MODULATING SUNLIGHT
C. MATERIAL SELECTION
• The traditional Japanese house is made of wood.
• Wooden houses are more elastic and capable of
withstanding the shock of earthquakes and typhoons
than other materials such as stone.
• Just as it is easy to construct with wood, it is also easy to
remodel whenever a structure was no longer needed
• Earth and other wall materials were selected because of
their ability to maintain a comfortable indoor
environment.
D. NATURE AND GARDEN
• The Japanese, whose own direct response to nature on the
domestic level would consist of sliding open a series of room-
height paper-covered partitions, for example, even in the dead
of winter, to admire nature’s landscape or it’s symbol, the
garden, beside his house.
• One feature the Japanese used to connect to their buildings
with outdoor elements was the engawa - a board-floored area
projecting firm the perimeter of the house, also serving as an
entrance (a kind of veranda).
 ELEMENTS OF A JAPANESE GARDEN
• Water • Strolling path
• Sand • Stone-lantern
• Gravel • Bamboo pipe
• Stone • Moss
• Rock • Flowers
• Island • Pond
• Hills • Trees
• Teahouse • Statues
• Bridge • Gates
• Stream • Water basin
• Fishes • Garden fences
• Every element has different meanings and they symbolize many
important things.

• Water or pond is seen to be one of the vital elements of Japanese

garden except Zen gardens.
• Whereas sand or gravel of a rock and zen garden’s represents water,
clouds and purity.
• Japanese bridges that you see in Japanese gardens reflect artistic
feelings.
• Small ponds represent the ocean or sea while fishes are used as part
of decorative element.
• A stone lantern represents the four natural elements: fire, water,
earth and wind.
• Every element that are shown above used to decorate or making
one garden more appalling.
Types of Japanese Garden
• Traditionally, there are three main styles of Japanese gardens.

• These three different types gardens are known as

A. Karesansui
B. Tsukiyama
C. Chaniwa

• Representing different meaning based on their style of looking

A. Karesansui (Rock/Dry/Zen Garden):

Ryoanji Temple Zen Garden, Kyoto.

• It represents the spiritualism of Zen Buddhism.
• It was formed by a Zen Buddhist monk called Musō Soseki.
B. Tsukiyama (Hill and Pond Garden):

Ginkaku-ji Hill and Pond Garden, Kyoto.

• This Japanese style garden represents a miniature

of natural scenery.
C. Chaniwa (Tea Garden):

Kenrokuen Tea Garden, Kanazawa in Japan.

• Tea garden is a type of beautiful Japanese

garden that has a tea ceremony house along
with the garden.
ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGIES AND TYPICAL LAYOUTS

• They lived in rough hits constructed over shallow rectangular pits,

excavated to a depth of about two to three feet. Four posts or small
trees set into holes near the inner edges of the pit supported the Intel
beams across them and these in turn supported the roof structure 2a .
The general appearance was that of an elongated tent shape with a small
ridged roof above it as shown below (2b)

The open ridge end allowed the smoke to escape. Lashed

together and covered with bark and grass, the structure would
seem able to withstand high winds and even earthquakes because
of its altogether rational use of stone age materials.
• The yayoi had special stone-working techniques, an organized
architectural system and probably then use of bronze. Incised designs on
bronze objects and earthenware from about the second to fifth century
AD as well as clay miniatures, provide the earliest architectural
representations. An earthenware specimen excavated from a site near
Nara shows a high-floor house with steps or a ladder leading up to it, the
roof apparently a simple gable form with a pronounced outward
inclination at both ends.3a
• The same type of house picture, shows a platform below the
roof and the rafters exposed in an “exploded” graphic
representation. Noteworthy is the extension of rafters above
and beyond the horizontal ridge beam which itself extends
beyond the horizontal ridge beam which itself extends
beyond the building proper, on the short sides where it is
supported by posts.3b
• Of all the fundamental principles discoverable in Japanese
architecture, the most profound is a pervasive sense of order -a
precise organization of the architecture that extends almost
effortlessly to a breadth and depth of control, welding together
the inherent patterns of form and space into a unique organic
whole.
• Exquisite sensibility trained by meditative concentration enables
the architects of Old Japan to integrate nature and man,
structure and form in a higher unity. The perfect expression of
this integration is the flexibility which permits the inside of a
building to be open to the outside (or depending on the point of
view, the outside to be open to the inside) and yet the inside to
be separated from the outside. The dividing element between
inside and outside is what we usually call the façade but this term
does not exist in Japanese architecture since when the Japanese
speaks of a house, he is referring to inner spatial arrangement
and not the outside.
• The Japanese house is designed from the inside outwards. The plan is
made up of a varying number of fixed spatial units ; namely, rectangles
measuring six feet by three.
 These measurements are taken from the Tatami, mats which covers the entire floor in the
Japanese house and are of such a size as to provide the minimum living space required by an
adult- enough room to sleep.
 The size of a plan is invariably a multiple of a floor-mat and the load bearing columns are always
located at the points of interaction between mats. Since the mats can be moved, the
arrangements never becomes rigidly fixed. The use of a basic module is therefore flexible.
• Using fixed units of size gives wide scope for
standardization and thus for the prefabrication of wall and
floor elements. However, the principles ordering the
structure are never reduced to market technical ; flexibility
allows variation full play and thus imparts vitality to the
whole. The ability of the Japanese to observe moderation,
to persevere with and keep to a specific unit of size without
slavish adherence, is here seen at it’s most admirable.
• The structure and form of the relatively primitive peasant house of Japan show
what can be done to achieve a true architecture by a sense of materials, quality of
workmanship, appreciation of modular variations and flexible structural grammar.
With flexibility the house can remain open and a close relationship be established
between the living room and the garden through the use of sliding doors
• The Japanese garden serves as a place of meditation and self-
communion and not entertainment or pleasant relaxation.
• Flexibility results in full use being made of the interior.
Uncluttered by furniture creates an impression of generous and
liberating space. The same flexibility saves the exterior
architecture from rigid conformity to a law.
• The recently restored house of Mr. Yoshimura, a four hundred
year old aristocratic farm house is a superb example of
Japanese architectural form and space. The pervading order of
structure is strongly evident and the interplay of lines and
planes – the Tatami of the floor, the translucent sisomi, and the
brilliant white fusuma doors is integrated by thus regular
structural rhythm into a series of planes that move in and our
under the roof in ever new patterns and relationships.
FLOOR PLAN OF YOSHIMURA-TEI FARM HOUSE
FRONT ELEVATION OF YOSHIMURA-TEI FARM HOUSE
• Each country has its own unique style of
architecture that tells a lot about its history
and people. Japan can tell us interesting
stories as seen in the wealth of its
architectural history—from grand castles to
humble farmhouses in the countryside.
• Traditional Japanese Architecture can be
classified into 3 main categories :
MINKA STYLE
• As its name implies, Minka refers to houses belonging to ordinary
folks. It is often associated to farmhouses or houses belonging to
traditional activities such as fishery and merchants. A large varieties
of Minkas can be found all over Japan due to difference in climates
and business activities. However, the core principle of Minka’s design
is the naturalness of its construction and the adaptation of using local
materials. It is typical that natural wood trunks in their original
shapes are used for making columns and beams for construction
without any treatments. In the past, as long as the major part of a
house construction was done by local craftsmen, many would opt for
building and maintaining other house components which they could
manage to do it by themselves such as roofs, earth walls
SUKIYA STYLE
• The origin of Sukiya style is thought to be developed in the Azuchi-Momoyama
(1574–1600) and Tokugawa (1603–1867) periods, originally used for teahouses
and later also for private residences and other establishments. Sukiya design is
based on an aesthetic of naturalness and rustic simplicity, buildings in this style
are intended to harmonize with their surroundings. Timber construction is
employed, with wood left in a natural state, sometimes with the bark still
attached. Walls are typically made of clay. Great attention is paid to detail and
proportions, and the effect is one of refined simplicity.
• Sukiya-zukuri is characterized by small rooms—usually four and a half tatami
mats or less—with a tokonoma (built-in recessed space) and shelves. The
traditional sukiya-zukuri layout has rooms that open to a garden through an
indirect diagonal or curved path that permit a view of the tea house.
SHOIN STYLE
• Shoin literally means a place for study or lecture and it was formerly
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). Typically, shoin consists of tokonoma (alcove
for the display of art objects), and chigai-dana (shelves built into the
wall) as these are all formative elements of this style. It was first
appeared in the Kamakura period (1192–1333) and derived from Zen
Buddhist monastic dwellings. The style gradually developed during
the Muromachi period (1338–1573) with the gradual extinction of the
shinden style. Examples of Shoin-Zukiri Architecture are: Katsura
Imperial Villa
Ninomaru Palace In Nijo Castle
Togudo
FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCED THE
EVOLUTION/ PROLIFERATION OF
THE PARADIGM
The earliest Japanese dwellings were the caves, pit house, ground -
level house and the raised floor house.

Tenchi Kongen pit house

A restored pit house
Due to the humid climate in Japan, the ground level and the raised-floor
dwellings continued to develop. However, the caves and pit houses were
abandoned.
 Introduction of Buddhism in the middle sixth century and the Meiji
Restoration in the middle nineteenth century were the two events that caused
the most drastic renovations in Japanese History.

a) INTRODUCTION OF BUDDHISM

 According to the Chronicles of Japan, Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth
century from the Korean state of Paekche (Western South Korea) when king Seong of
Korea sent a mission to Emperor kinmei that included gifting the region with an image
of Buddha Shakyamuni, ritual banners and sutras.
 The sophisticated new religion was welcomed
by the Yamato
Court as a way to help promote a stronger
centralized government. A great
flowering of architecture ensued as
magnificent temples, filled with statues
and other works of art, were built to impress
people at home and abroad.

Ritual banner. Picture taken by Kinji Morimua

 Evolution of Temple Styles

 Between the founding of Asukadera Temple in 596 and the inauguration of Todaiji
Temple in 752, there were several significant changes in Buddhist architecture and
temple layout. First, there was an increase in the size of the Main Hall and the
pagoda.

Second, the pagoda was moved to a more peripheral location.

Third, therewas an increase in the complexity of the roof bracketing system, as roofs
grew larger and heavier.
Comparison between the pagoda and the
Indian stupa, from which the Pagoda
evolved
Eaves bracketing for the Hōryūji Main Hall. Eaves bracketing for the Yakushiji Pagoda.
 RISE OF ESOTERIC BUDDHISM AND
THE PURE LAND FAITH

a) Introduction of Esoteric Buddhism

 After the transmission of continental culture in the middle of

the sixth century, Japan made rapid progress, attaining by
the eighth century(Nara Period),
a level of civilization that was compared by a poet of the time to
“the glory of cherry-blossoms in full bloom”

However, in many ways, the change had been too rapid, and it
had been accompanied by the appearance of several destructive
practices, such as the attachment of excessive importance to
Buddhism.
The result was that in the closing periods of the Nara period, society arrived at a
sort of impasses, marked by degeneration of church and state alike.

Eventually, however, the vigorous Emperor Kammu, with the support of several
able ministers, took it upon himself to move the capital to a new location and
make a fresh start. In 794 the government settled in Kyoto, then known as
Heiankyo, and there it was to remain until modern times.

At just the time when this change was taking place, two new Buddhist sects,
Tendai and Shingon, were being introduced from China, the former by the priest
Saicho and the Latter by the priest Kukai. Both were different from the old scholastic
sects of Nara, and the differences were of a sort that led to revision of Buddhist
architectural techniques.
 Changes that took place

Enryaku-ji, a Tendai temple on Mt. Hiei

In the first place, the chief monasteries of the new sects were built on
isolated mountain side in the hope of avoiding the excessive involvement with
politics that had been the downfall of the Nara clergy.
In the case of these mountain-side monasteries, it was impossible to arrange a
number of large pavilions in a regular pattern, as had previously been the practice.
Instead, the component structures were brought together in small groups that fitted in
with the natural surroundings.

The Tendai sect, in setting up the Enryaku-ji, revolted against formalism and
massiveness that had been the pride of Nara Buddhists. The Enryaku-ji from the first
consisted’ as it now consists, of three groups of small buildings with known as the
eastern, central and western percinct( toto, yokawa chudo, and saito respectively). The
original main building of the eastern precinct, called the komponchu-do, was a hall only
about 30 feet in width and fifteen in depth. The western precinct was also a tiny
building, three “bays” square and roofs with boards.
Enryaku-ji on Mt. Hiei
The kongobu-ji, erected by the Singon sect at the top of Mt. Koya featured two
pagoda, symbolizing the two aspects of the universe in Esoteric Buddhist
cosmology; that is to say” diamond world”, or world of the indestructible spirit and
the “matrix world”, , or world of dynamic matter.

The kongobu-ji temple on Mt. Koya

The taho-to is an essential
element in Shingon
monasteries. It is a form
derived from the stupa,
representing the Buddha’s
burial mound.
 Originally, the taho-to was a round building, as
illustrated by the bronze reliquary, with its lower portion
surrounded by lean tons (mokoshi), , but later it was
simplified in construction to the extent that only a
remnant of the round main structure appeared above
the mokoshi. Thus in effect, it became a two- storied
building with a square lower storey and a circular upper
storey.

Bronze reliquary resembling a stupa

Another change in the form of monasteries was a development in the design of the
principal sanctuaries, especially evident in the case of Shingon establishments. The main
hall and the hall of worship were united to form one building as opposed to the Nara
period where the hall of worship was separate from the building in which the icons were
enshrined.

Another change in the form of monasteries was a development in the design of of

the principal sanctuaries, especially evident in the case of Shingon establishments. The
main hall and the hall of worship were united to form one building as opposed to the
Nara period where the hall of worship was separate from the building in which the
icons were enshrined.
 b) The rise of Pure Land Faith

As stated above, Esoteric Buddhism gained power after the beginning of the
Heian period. Somewhat later, another new cult began to enjoy great popularity.
This was the Pure Land (Jodo) faith, based on the belief that the Buddha Amida
(Amitabha) will transport all persons who invoke his name to his pure land, or
paradise, in the western heavens.

Toward the end of the ninth century, Fujiwara clan and clique of aristocrats
replaced the royal family as the arbiters of Japanese society.

At this time, the Pure Land Faith, with its simple doctrine that rebirth in paradise can
be secured by repeated invocations of the Buddha Amida, lent itself admirably. The
religious establishments built by nobles ceased to be places of spiritual training and
became, as nearly as their patrons could make them, reproductions of Amida’s Pure
Land on earth. Their buildings were grand and glorious palaces, luxuriously decorated
throughout, and especially in and around the sancta.
Amida-do of Hokai-ji
 EVOLUTION IN SHINTO ARCHITECTURE

The earliest sacred spaces were cleared patches in the forest or on the
beach, covered with white gravel, prepared for the “descent” of the kami.

After the introduction of Buddhism, the idea of a temple, where members of a

congregation could assemble to worship and participate in ceremonies, inspired
Shinto shrines to construct special areas for worshippers. This was done by
extending the roof of the Honden or building a separate worship
hall (the Haiden). Gradually, other buildings were
added, such as a stage for sacred performances.

Inevitably, however, shinto architecture gradually came to show the influence of

continental styles. Shrine buildings began to be painted in vermilion color and to be
covered with curving roofs, the eaves of which were supported by brackets (ta-
kyo). There was also metal ornamentation an provision of special spaces for
worshipers.
Nagare style, the most common type of post-Buddhist shrine. The
entrance is on the long side, as in the Shimmei style, but the roof is
extended over the steps to provide shelter for worshippers.
 (front view) (side view) (plan)

Shrine transformation (Top to bottom : Shimmei,Taisha, Nagare, Kasuga, Hachiman, Hie types).
 b)MEIJI RESTORATION

Samurai leaders from southern regions began to advise the new emperor, Meiji. The
emperor was only 14 at that time, and the Samurai used their influence over him to
politically restructure Japan. The Japanese government was now cntroled by the
emperor’s new Samurai advisors.

On April 17th, 1868, the emperor announced something called Character oath, that
all would swear to him. This oath presented the emperor’s commitment to transform
Japan into a modern nation-state. Finally, the new government pledged to openly
seek out knowledge all over the world to improve and empower Japan.

with the consequence that after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, shrines and temples
were separated. All shrines were required to join a national association, with Ise
Shrine as the head. This new organization, dedicated to the glory of the Emperor
and the Japanese State, built many new shrines, known as jingū rather than
the normal jinja, in the Shimmei style.
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JAPANESE AND
CHINESE ARCHITECTURE

Architecture in Japan and China bears a few similarities, but there are many
differences which tend to be overlooked. Although China influenced Japan,
historically through Buddhism; the differences lie in the details.

One of the major influences of each architectural styles is that the Chinese
lifestyle included chairs while the Japanese lifestyle did not as it was customary to
sit on the floor. However, this custom changed in the Meiji Period(1868-1912)

Japanese architecture consists of wooden structures which are slightly elevated

above the ground. Roofs here were characterized by either tiles or thatched roofs. The
Chinese Pagodas however were built in a combination of wood and stone or brick. Due
to the difference in building materials, their internal structure also was considerably
different.
 The roofs of Japanese Pagodas tend to be more exaggerated and elongated, making
the tower seem more horizontal and vertical. On the other hand The Chinese
architecture had an emphasis on horizontal orientation and a range of allusion to
symbolism and cosmology.

The Japanese architecture replaced walls with sliding doors, creating an adjustible
sense of space, which was not seen among the Chinese.

Japanese city planning was small in scale and had a more unbalanced and
asymmetrical organization than in Chinese where bilateral symmetry.

Japanese shinto shrines and residential buildings show more expressive and
elaborate detail in their wood structures than their Chinese counterparts.
Peculiar to the Japanese house is its flexible spatial organization which made possible
an internal openness of space. This free and flexible method of organizing space is one of
the precedents for the modernist design philosophy of the 20 th century and had a
particularly heavy influence on the American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
 AESTHETICS, DECORATION AND GENERAL CHARACTER OF ANCIENT
JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE
The aesthetics of Japanese architecture have been shaped by the climate,
history and the ways of daily life in Japan.
Korean and Chinese architecture heavily influenced Japanese architecture and
as a result, the architecture of Buddhism was prominent.
This kind of architecture paid close attention to style that was perfectly
developed in simplicity and directness of construction, in subtlety and rhythm
in line, in dignity of massing, in perfection of proportion and in gravity and
solemnity of composition.
It was also influenced by the art of Orient, taking form and nature from
Eastern civilization, vitalized by the Soul of the East.
SPLENDOUR OF COLOUR
• Temple architecture in the Tokugawa period was done in simple colours that
formed a delightful composition; dull but luminous red of lead oxide for the
woodwork, the walls were done with white plaster and the roof with green
grey tiles.
• This was later replaced with the use of bright colours; blue, green purple,
madder and vermilion (weathered beautifully).
• The support pillars were black, red or gold.
• Some temple interiors had burnished gold.
• Columns, walls, ceilings and sometimes roofs had black and red lacquer.
 Monastery of Horiuji

Yakushiji Pagoda

Kondo of Horiuji
Chion-in temple in Kyoto

Heian shrine Kyoto

Osaki Hachimangu shrine

• Lacquers of birds, trees, mountains, clouds and water forms.
• Wall paintings were usually of animal forms such as birds, insect and flowers.
• Temple at Chion-in had every inch of the building fabric painted in brilliant yet
delicate colours.
ORNAMENTATION AND DECORATION
Ornament was applied to construction details.
• Curves and ridges of the roof are exemplary in their delicacy.
• Delicate coving of the sides in interior spaces
• Carved and coffered ceiling.
• Roofs gently curved outwards and upwards at the corners similar to those of
Chinese architecture though more subtle and refined.
• The curvature was graceful and supported by simple or complex (double)
brackets.
• Ridges and hips made up of layers of tiles set in mortar and finished with
large moulded tile capping and cresting.
n

Coffered ceiling at Eiheji temple

Curved roofs

Ridge and hipped roof

 Ginkaku-ji temple, Kyoto

Gable ends with cusped barge boards with

pendants.
• Gable ends had cusped barge- boards with pendants.
• Some roofs had Chigi (Okichigi or Hiji) which were forked roofs finials.

Chigi

Katsuogi

• Placed at a right angle with the Chigi, along the ridge of roofs, were the
Katsuogi (Kasoegi). They were covered in gold, bronze and decorated with
the clan symbol.
• The sorin (alternate rings)is the finial (vertical shaft) which is at the apex of
Japanese pagoda and sometimes on Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.
• Wooden pagodas have bronze sorin while stone ones have stone sorin.
• the sorin is divided into several sections that are symbolic and also represent a
pagoda.

Sorin
• Hanagawara were floral and plant designs on roofs.

Hanagawara

• Onigawara (ogre tile) are roof decorations or statues depicting a Japanese ogre
(oni) or a fearsome beast that were mostly found on Buddhist temples.

Onigawara
• Decorative shingles and tiles (alternating flat and roll tiles)
• Shibi was a Japanese ornamental tile placed at both ends of the ridgepole
that was on top of a shingled roof. Also called Kutsugata.
• they were often made in the form of a shachihoko (an animal in Japanese
folklore believed to cause the rain to fall).
• Mainly on temples and castles.

Shibi
Shisa was a traditional Ryukyuan decoration that was a cross between a lion
and a dog from Okinawa mythology and it occurred in pairs.
They were gaurdian dogs and believed to protect from evil spirits.
Like the komainu (lion dogs), the shisa are a variation of the gaurdian lions
(fu dogs) of China.

Shisa
• Columns had a delicate entasis.
• A torii (bird adobe) is a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at the
entrance of Shinto shrines that were usually painted vermilion with a black
upper lintel.

Torri

• Some interiors of temples had square columns with paneled ceilings.

• Some shrines had round columns that were lacquered and decorated with
kanji.
HOUSES
They had a wood skeleton with wood or stout paper infilling.
Walling was done with timber posts and rails dividing surfaces into regular
spaces, filled in with plaster and painted panels.
They had a highly decorated frieze and a bracket that supported horizontal
members thus allowing the roof to overhang the wall by about 2.5m.
Window openings are filled with timber trellis and wooden shutters externally
and rice paper internally.
Use of shoji doors and windows that allow light into the space.
Use of tatami mats.
• Materials were admired for their natural texture and intrinsic beauty thus
very little if any mouldings.
• Carved and coloured panels formed enclosure walls and ranma (pierced
ventilators)were below cornices.
• Ornamental brass caps fixed to the ends of projecting timbers and
connections.
• The distinction between wall and door often disappears thus creating a flow
of inside and outside.
• Some houses had engawa-wooden verandas that run around the outside
edges of the house further blurring the distinction of inside and outside.
• Temples had zen gardens that were meant to be viewed while seated from a
single viewpoint outside the garden or on the veranda.
Zen garden
ANCIENT JAPANESE
ARCHITECTURE
Symbolism of traditional Japanese architecture
CASTLE TOWERS
• In the course of the Momoyama period, castle architecture was
developed and castle towers were built as a symbolic representation of
power.
 CURVED ROOFS
• In ancient Japanese Architecture temple roofs were curved because
Buddhists believed that curved shapes could ward off evil spirits which
were thought to only move in straight lines.
 MOTIFS
(I) Plum.
• From the Heian period, plums have been a symbol of refinement and purity.
(ii)Gourd.
• According to Taoist beliefs it is a symbol of good luck, good health and
prosperity.
 (iii)Folding fan.
• The folding fan signifies high social status and also the journey of life.
The smaller ends of the fan symbolize birth and the fan’s blades
symbolize the many paths available in life’s journey.
 (iv)Butterfly.
• It’s associated with the symbolism of metamorphosis and transformation
 (v)Lotus.
• It has been used as a very popular symbol of living your life to the
fullest and is often associated with Buddhist achievement of
enlightenment.
 TATAMI ROOMS.
• In traditional Japanese culture, Tatami rooms were spaces to entertain
visitors, conduct tea ceremonies or were places of study in the
temples. Tatami rooms were a symbol of social status for the
Japanese.

GATEWAYS(MON)
• These Japanese gateways were used as a status symbol
particularly in the Tokugawa rule between 1603-1867.
Shoroh-mon Gate, Unryu-ji Temple, Takayama
 BUILDING MATERIALS
AND TECHNOLOGY OF
JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE.
BUILDING MATERIALS.
WOOD
• Main building material.
• Most preferred because of its ability to absorb moisture and it is readily available
• Types of wood used for buildings were:
.Japanese cypress(hanoki)
.Japanese cedar
.Japanese zelkova
.Cherry
• These species were used because of their durability, sturdiness and natural scent.
• It was rubbed with vegetable oil to darken the golden tone to rich brown.
BUILDING MATERIALS.
SILK
• Silk was used to cover a wooden frame for Fusuma.
Sliding doors
Used to divide
rooms

• Fusuma
BUILDING MATERIALS.
PAPER(WASHI).
• Used in construction of the Shoji(room divider or door)
Sheets of washi paper is placed on
a wooden lattice frame.
• Used against windows because it
allows light to penetrate.

Shoji screen
BUILDING MATERIALS
BAMBOO
• Used in wall construction to fill up the fill the space left by beam and
column framework.
• It was also used in
roof shingles.

Bamboo lath filling with clay plaster.

BUILDING MATERIALS.
RICE STRAW MATS(TATAMI MATS.)
• It was used as a flooring
material.
• They are made of rice straw
covered with woven soft rush straw.
• It provided a soft surface to sit
and sleep and its scent gave a unique
smell that defined Japanese houses.
Floor covered with tatami mats
BUILDING MATERIALS.
CLAY
• Used to plaster walls.
• Used in making clay tiles (kawara). This concept came as a result
of the introduction of budhism.
• Used in mainly
temples and houses.

House with clay roof tiles

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
• Construction begins with one taking all responsibility and seizes the
initiative for building the house.
• Foundation is established on a rock bed.
• Carpenters put sills on the foundation which is a bed of rock and
gravel that is 2 ft deep.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
• The floor was raised above ground, its post resting on foundation
stone.
• This was to allow the structure to bounce in the event of an
earthquake.
• This also ensured air circulation beneath the house for cooling
purposes.
• There are numerous columns under floor beams to provide additional
support and make floor unusually sturdy.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
• At 2 ft above the ground, each column is joined to the floor beam, then connect the posts with beams of the
structure.
• Early structures had beams and rafters tied together by straw rope.
• However it was replaced by fine joinery techniques.
• Buildings came to be pieced together like a giant puzzle without extensive use of nails.

Beam and

Column

structure
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
• After this roof construction begins,
• Roof members are assembled to the ground with wedges and tenons.
• Important corrections are made then the roof structure is dismantled and set aside, each piece being
numbered.
• All the parts that remain visible when roof is complete is pasted over thin paper to avoid finger marks.
• After assembling the beam and post roof structure, carpenters perform a ceremony of ridge raising
(Muneageshiki) in collaboration with the client and village community .
• The house is roofed by a broad and water proof course soon after the ceremony, so that carpenters and
plasters can perform their work without being disturbed by rain.
• The construction had two sets of columns, the one that supports floor beams and the other roof beams.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
• Then the plasterers (Sakan) start clay walling work.
• They set bamboo lath (Komai) in the space surrounded by posts and
beams, and apply a rough layer of clay
wall(Arakabe).

Plasterer setting clay plaster

setting bamboo lath.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
ROOF
• It is made of heavy timber placed at right angles.
• The sheer weight of it keeps the structure in place.
• Heavier roof is more stable because it holds the structure
together and stabilizes swaying.
• This is because the building rests on columns at ground level.
• The roofs projected outwards for protection against the heavy
monsoon rains.
• They were wide to avoid water splashing into the interior of
the structure.
• They were either thatched or tiled.
ROOF TYPOLOGY.
• There are 4 roof typology.
Kirizuma-Gable roof
Yosemune-Hip roof
Irimaya-Hip and gable roof
Hogyo-Pyramidal roof.
ROOF TYPOLOGY.
KIRIZUMA ROOF
• It is made simply from
two sides connected at
the ridge.
• This is the simplest and
most common of the
Japanese traditional architectural
styles even today.
ROOF TYPOLOGY
YOSEMUNE-HIP ROOF
• Roof slopes down 4 sides and connects with the ridge
at the top.
• It is the second
most common form of
roof for Japanese
houses.
ROOF TYPOLOGY.
IRIMOYA –HIP AND GABLE ROOF.
• It is basically a Kirizuma roof on top of Yosemune roof.
• Used for the buildings with highest status such as castles and temples
and a few private residential houses.
ROOF TYPOLOGY.
Irimoya roof.
ROOF TYPOLOGY.
HOGYO –PYRAMIDAL ROOF.
• It is similar to Kirizuma with all four sides of the roof slope down.
• However, there is no ridge making it more flexible hence forms a
peak.
• It is used in hexagonal and octagonal buildings.
• Mostly used in Buddhists construction.
ROOF TYPOLOGY.
Hogyo roof.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
Roofing types.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
BRACKETING SYSTEM.
• Main system used in wood construction was the Tokyo bracket
system.
• It originated from ancient China.
• It is used to
structurally
support the roof.
SPACE STRUCTURES AND
REQUIREMENTS.
WALLS
• They were light, movable and not load bearing.
• Sliding doors (fusuma) and movable screens(shoji) were used in place
of walls.
• This gave Japanese architecture a characteristic of flexibility.
FUSUMA AND SHOJI.

FUSUMA

SHOJI
SPACE STRUCTURES AND REQUIREMENTS.

VERANDAH (ENGAWA).
Outdoor corridor
Raised wooden or bamboo verandah that runs around the outside edge
of a building.
People sit and look out to the garden.
SPACE STRUCTURES AND
REQUIREMENTS.
IRORI
• Sunken hearth set within timber ot tatami floor where
a pot is hung.
• Square and located in the center of the room where
people would gather for warmth and conversation.
SPACE STRUCTURES AND
REQUIREMENTS.
GENKAN
• Entryway to take off and leave shoes before entering
the house.
• Usually one step lower
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND
TECHNIQUES.
 KATSURA IMPERIAL VILLA
HISTORY

• The Katsura Imperial Villa or Katsura Detached Palace, is an Imperial residence with associated
gardens and outbuildings in the western suburbs of Kyoto, Japan. Located on the western bank of
the Katsura River, the Villa is 8km distant from the main Kyoto Imperial Palace. The villa and gardens
are nationally recognized as an important cultural property of Japan.
• The grounds of the villa are regarded as a notable exemplar of traditional Japanese gardening. Tea
ceremony houses within the strolling gardens and the main villa itself are all sited to maximize
appreciation of varied foliage and changing seasonal vistas.
• Prince Hachijo Toshihito the founder of the Katsura Imperial Villa, was born on 13 February 1579. He
was the sixth son of Prince Sanehito, and a descendant of Emperor Ogimachi. In 1586, Toshihito was
adopted by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, but they separated in 1589 when Hideyoshi had his own son. He
presented Toshihito with land that yielded 3000 koku (15,000 bushels of rice) and allowed him to
establish a new house in the imperial line, which became the Hachijo family line.
• When Toshihito obtained land along the south bank of the Katsura River, the location
of the novel the Tales of Genji, he set out to construct a villa modeled on passages
from it. However, because he lacked wealth and resources, the first constructed villa
was similar to "a teahouse in the melon patch“
• After the marriage of Tokugawa Kazuko to Emperor Go-Mizunoo, which Toshihito had
been active in creating, construction of the villa began. As Prince Toshihito became a
greater figure in public life, more guests came to visit the Katsura Imperial Villa.
• By 1624, he had devoted more of his resources to the expansion of the villa, and it was
recorded that hills had been formed and a pond had been dug in the middle of the
garden.
• A priest that visited Katsura in 1624 wrote that it had the "finest view in Japan". By
1631, the villa was called a "palace".
 DESIGN

• The Katsura Imperial Villa is a good example of the essence of Japanese traditional design. The Villa
combines principles usually used in early Shinto shrines and merges it with the esthetics and
philosophy of Zen Buddhism
• Villa incorporates many traditional Japanese ideas. One example of Katsura's use of traditional ideas
is its use of raised floors with tatami mats covering them. Tatami are mats approximately 3 feet by 6
feet in length that are not only used as the floors of the villa, but are also used to define the
dimensions of each individual room and the house as a whole. 
• At Katsura, the mats are used to create the sprawling and pinwheel-like plan that it has today. The
terraces and porches created by the arrangement of the tatami mats provide opportunities to view
the landscape and link interior spaces with the outside world.
• The floors of each building of the site are also raised as well, which originally was derived from
vernacular designs for granaries, as well as early imperial palaces. They serve the purpose of both
keeping the floor dry while also giving hierarchy to the space.
• Katsura Imperial Villa utilizes is the use of screen walls (the shoji and the fusuma). In
traditional Japanese Architecture, the shoji and the fusuma are used to separate the
spaces created by the tatami mats into the various rooms of the house.
• The shoji is the generic term for the white and translucent screen door or wall that is
reinforced with wooden lattice and can either be stationary, hanging, or sliding. The
fusuma is a subcategory of the shoji and it is the white or painted moving screen partition
used on the interior of the house.
• By moving the fusuma, when in conjunction with a stationary shoji, the resident is able to
create new rooms within the architecture. For instance by moving one fusuma wall, one
could transform two rooms into one large room and a small storage closet.
• In the Katsura Imperial Villa, the fusuma allows the rooms to change and open up to the
natural world with exterior decks becoming extensions of the interior and framing views
of the landscape. An example of this type of transformation is the moon viewing platform
connected to the Old Shoin
• At the Katsura Imperial Villa, the teahouses are perfect examples of how Zen Buddhism has affected
the architecture and landscape. The tea ceremony, performed at the pavilions, is a very important part
of Japanese society because it is a spiritual ritual symbolizing detached perfection in the Zen tradition,
and it has greatly affected the architecture and landscape around it to enhance the experience one
receives while in the ceremony.
• The teahouses were constructed expressly to incorporate the qualities of concord, reverence,
pureness, and isolation that are the very essence of the ritual. The four different teahouses are all
separated from the main building and are isolated from everything except for the nature around them.
• The teahouses also use rustic elements such as bark covered wooden supports or irregular shaped
wooden pieces as extensions of the natural world, for the tea ceremony aims at fusing the spiritual
and the natural.
• The teahouses account for many experiences while you are inside of it. The windows and apertures in
the pavilion are at eye level when sitting so that one can feel more in tune and closer to nature and
hence one can be preparing tea while enjoying the exquisite cuisine.
• The interior of the buildings were planned so that the designers imparted their reverence for the
materials and spatial harmony, which are intended to promote reflection that will achieve inward
simplicity and tranquility of the mind.
Tea House
 BUILDINGS AND GARDENS
• The New Palace features a large hipped-and-gabled roof, as well as a veranda enclosed by wooden
shutters. The design of the New Palace is more structured than the Old and Middle Shoin, and is
composed of an eight-mat room, a six-mat room, and a three-mat area that are arranged into an L-
shape. There is a coffered ceiling, and an alcove containing a large window.
• The Katsura Shelves are especially noteworthy, and are located in the corner opposite of the entrance.
Other rooms in the New Palace are the imperial bedchamber, the consort’s dressing room, a pantry, a
wardrobe, a bath, a toilet, and a washroom.
• The New Palace features a large hipped-and-gabled roof, as well as a veranda enclosed by wooden
shutters. The design of the New Palace is more structured than the Old and Middle Shoin, and is
composed of an eight-mat room, a six-mat room, and a three-mat area that are arranged into an L-
shape.
• There is a coffered ceiling, and an alcove containing a large window. The Katsura Shelves are located in
the corner opposite of the entrance. Other rooms in the New Palace are the imperial bedchamber, the
consort’s dressing room, a pantry, a wardrobe, a bath, a toilet, and a washroom.
• Within the garden, there were originally five teahouses. Although currently there are only four
standing, the pavilions were implemented for practicing the Japanese art of the tea ceremony. The
small structures were built to incorporate qualities that are at the essence of the tea ritual, such as
harmony, silence, and reverence. The tea rituals tried to incorporate the spiritual and natural world,
therefore, the teahouses used natural elements such as wooden supports with bark, continuing the
atmosphere of the garden.
• The Geppa-rō, also known as the "Moon-wave Tower," has a view overlooking
the pond. Although it is only fifteen by twenty-four feet in area, it is known for
its spatial effect due to its exposed ceiling and roof structure.
• The roof is supported by four slanting beams that rise from the corners of the
building with a ridge pole that is further supported by a curving king pole
resting on a tie beam. This creates a unique spatial effect as the roof has a
decorated underside that exposes the beams and rafters.
Asymmetrical column of support at the
Geppa-rō Pavilion
View of the pond from the Geppa-rō Pavilion
• Across the pond from the Geppa-rō is the Shōkin-tei, also known as the
"Pine-Lute Pavilion." The pavilions contrast one another, as the Geppa-rō is
active and situated on higher ground looking down onto the pond whereas
the Shōkin-tei is less active and elevated not far above the water level.
• The site in which the Shōkin-tei is located was initially the first point in
which the visitors could view the pond. But through the development of
the land, such as extending the pond to the southwest and reconstruction
of the main house, the entire site developed into a tour garden rather than
a view garden. It intends for one to walk through the space rather than
just view it from the interior of a house. 
View of the Shōkin-tei from the Geppa-rō Pavilion
The Pond
Garden path
Garden of Katsura Imperial Villa
• Leaving the Shōkin-tei, one follows up a "mountain path" to the Shōka-tei, which roughly means
"Flower-Appreciation Pavilion," as cherry trees surround it. It is a small teahouse that is situated
at the highest point in the garden.
• It has the clearest view of the main house through the trees. The posts are barked logs, as the
floor plan is made of only four tatami mats in a U-shaped pattern. Emphasizing the atmosphere
of a mountain house, strips of dark blue and white cloth are hung on the front of the pavilion.
• As the path away from the Shōka-tei splits, the right leads to the front lawn of the main house,
while the left leads to the Onrin-dō, a small ancestral shrine. Following this shrine, there is an
open area leading to the Shōiken. It is also referred to as the "Laughing Thoughts Pavilion.“
• The upper wall of the entry room has uncharacteristic row of six round windows, giving the
approaching visitor a feeling that the building is laughing at them. This particular pavilion is
different from the others not in appearance but in the arrangement of rooms.
• From a processing of a narrow toilet to wider rooms to the kitchen and servant quarters, the
pavilion appears to operate as an independent house. A small room with a shoin window
overlooks the farmlands outside the grounds, connecting the viewer psychologically with the
real world rather than the garden.
Inside the Shōkin-tei
Main gate of the Katsura Imperial
Villa
Exterior wall made
of bamboo