Japanese Architecture

climate

Japanese
Architecture

China Buddhism
 Features of
Japanese
Architecture
• Roof is made of
heavy timbers.
• Made of wood

• Post-and-lintel
structure
•Interior - multitude
of partially-screened,
geometrically-
arranged rooms with
sliding doors
•built with few nails
or sometimes none
 Features of
Traditional
Japanese Home
•made of wood

•has tatami mat

floors
•sliding shoji doors

•coffered ceiling

•lath-and-plaster
walls
•tokonoma (display
alcoves)
•Genkan(entrance)
Architecture in Japan

THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY

•small buildings

•thatched roofs

•dirt floors(made of
wood if the area is
humid)

Reconstructed storehouse

Prehistoric Period
 Asuka Period

“ASUKA PERIOD”
• the term was first used to describe a
period in the history of Japanese fine -arts
and architecture

• was influenced by the introduction of

Buddhism from China via Korean Peninsula
 The Main
Worship Hall
-usually found at the
center of the temple
grounds

- Inside are images of

the Buddha, other
Buddhist images, an
altar or altars with
various objects and
space for monks and
worshipers.

Main Worship Hall(Kondo)

Asuka Period
Five Story Pagoda

•have five stories

represent the five
elements :
•Earth, Water,
Fire, Wind, Sky

The Five Story Pagoda

Asuka Period
 Shinto Shrines

-places of worship
and the dwellings of
the kami, the Shinto
"gods“

Main Features:
•Komainu

•Torii

•Chozuya

•Main sanctuary

Shinto Shrine

Asuka Period
 shinden-zukuri

- the style was

characterised by
symmetrical buildings
placed as arms that
defined an inner
garden

Shinden-Zukuri
The Phoenix Hall

Heian Period
 Kamakura Period

•T h e J a p a n e s e P o l i t i c a l p o w e r w a s r u n b y
Samuri.

•M a n y h o u s e s w e r e j u s t p l a i n , s y m m e t r i c a l ,
and contained trenches but they were
simple and sturdy.
Sanju-Sangen-Do

-Hall with thirty

three spaces between
columns
- contains 1,000 life-
size statues of the
Thousand Armed
Kannon

The Sanju-Sangen-Do

The Thousand Armed Kannon

Kamakura Period
 Tea House

•For tea cermonies

•Must have an
atmosphere of calm
and meditation
•The only adornment
was a hanging scroll
with calligraphy or a
flower arrangement

Tea House

Kamakura Period
Azuchi-Momoyama Period

In response to a militaristic time,

the castle, a defensive structure, was built
to keep out intruders or attackers.
 Defense features:

•elaborate mazes of
halls, corridors and
tunnels
•Defensive walls with
triangular and
circular holes for
firing arrows and
guns, for pouring
boiling oil and rocks
 Himeji Castle

•the best of Japan's

castles
•one of the few with
some its original
interior and exterior
intact.
•was built by Ikeda
Terumasa.

•It has managed to

avoid being destroyed
by a fire or natural Himeji Castle aka White Heron Castle
disaster and was
never attacked.

Azuchi-Momoyama Period
 This period
brought back a lot of
classic Japanese
architecture.
The city of Edo
was struck by fires
repeatedly so
architecture was
simplified to allow for
easy rebuilding.
Enhanced
Architecture:
•Machiya Katsura-Detached Palace
(townhouses)
Typical Machiya

Edo Period
•Emperor Meiji took
charge, new and
different forms of
culture moved into
Japan.

•European influences
slowly managed to
work their way to
architecture.

Nara National Museum

Meiji Period
•Change in technology
greatly affected the
architecture.

•After World War II a

lot of Japan had to be
rebuilt, but the new
Japan looked much
different than old
Japan.
•The styles went from
big, rectangular
prisms to long and
tall skyscrapers.

Modern Architecture