ARCHITECTURE
IN JAPAN
6th century A.D. to present day
Japan, with its principal island, Honshiu, and attendant
island to north and south, lies off the eastern coast of
Asia. The eastern shores of Japan are bounded by the
Pacific Ocean.
The prevalence of earth quakes in Japan has 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.
Bamboo is plentiful, and extensively used in building. Stone is
ma1nly of volcanic origin and unstratified. Granites and
porphyries are weil represented, but there is dearth of lime
and sandstone.
Japan is influenced by a cold airstream from Asia in and by
the incursion of warm moist air from the pacific in the summer.
Houses wherever possible, face south and deeply projecting
eaves are provided to give protection against the sun, while
high courtyard walls screen the northern aspect from the cold
winds of winter.
During the 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 the 13th c., recognized three
groups, the emperor and nobles, the Shoguns with the military
caste, and the people.
Christianity was introduced in 1549 by St. Francis Xavier.
In 1614. all foreign priests were expelled.
SHINTO was the Chinese name for the indigenous
polydemonism which existed in Japan before the introduction
of Buddhism.
Image worship or elaborate temple buildings were uncalled
for.
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.
The architecture of Japan was largely derived from China, but
at all times maintained its own special characteristic of
lightness and delicacy.
Refinement in Japanese architecture. com- bined with minutes
in carving and decoration are particularly noticeable in timber
construction.
Notable are the dominant roofs, which form a striking contrast
with practice in the Middle east and India, where flat terrace
roofs predominate.
IRIMOYA GABLE- The upper part of the roof is terminated by a
gable placed vertically above the end walls. while the lower part
of the main roof is carried round the ends ot the
building in a hipped form.
Roof coverings can be thatch, shingles or tiles.
Thatched roofs often have a
prominent ridge of tiles with an
exaggerated cresting, or the
ridge may be of stout bamboos,
tied with blackened rope and
terminated with finials.
TILED ROOF
Tiled roofs have flattish and roll tiles
SHINGLES ROOF alter- nately, while cover tiles, often
of decorative form are used to mask
joints at the eaves.
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
barge-boards with pendants.
Curved brackets (Kumo-
Hijiki) adorn the underside of
the overhanging eaves.
Columns, which followed the
Chinese form, are conspicuous
in Japanese temples and in
facades to-places and
gateways.
KEN is the intercolumniation is regulated by the standard of
measurement which is divided into twenty parts, termed minutes,
and each minute being again divided into a further twenty two
parts or seconds of space.
YARIGANNA a spear-shaped plane, which left a beautiful
finish. Even when plain, columns are objects of beauty as timber
was split by wedges.
Most houses are constructed of wood-framing with wood or
stout paper infilling, which in· an earthquake shock is much safer
than stone or brick construction.
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.
One of the most primitive and holy of the Shinto designs, the lzumo
shrine shares with the Yayoi house model the beetling gables
IZUMO SHRINE YAYOI HOUSE
YAYOI DWELLINGS
a. post with footboard, b. varieties of post
on top a board wall foot- boards
YAYOI DWELLINGS
c. on a 3rd or 4th
century mirror; (top to
bottom, left to right)
priest's house, rulers
house.
Japanese work shows the absence of mouldings as wall surfaces are
admired for their own intrinsic beauty.
Carved and coloured panels formed in enclosure walls, in
projecting eaves to roofs, and in the 'RAMMA' or pierced
ventilators below cornices are characteristic.
The chrysanthemum, the stork and pine trees
being typical subjects for motifs.
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 depcit animal
forms, insects birds, flowers.
Supporting pillars are usually black,
red, or gold.
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
1. Shinto temples can be distinguished from buddhist by the
characteristic "TORII" or gateways formed by upright posts
supporting two or more horizontal beams, under which, it was
considered, worshippers must pass for prayers to be effectual.
"O·torii", the first gate to the Toshogu Shrine.
Tochgi Perfecture, Japan 1636
TORII (Shinto)
ISE SHRINE: South gateway of third fence of Naiku, the inner shine.
Near lse-City, Japan 3rd century. A.D.
2. Buddhism foundations are entered through an elaborate two-
storeyed gateway, sur- mounted by a muniment room under and
ornate roof.
A. Main entrance, Horiujii
Temple. near Nara
PAGODAS
Square plan, mostly five-storeyed and
about 45 meters (150 feet) in height.
Belvederes
an open roofed gallery in an upper
storey built for giving a view of the
PALACES
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.
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.
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 years old.
There are rooms for hosts
and hostess, but not
bedrooms in the usual
sense
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
Daidokoro- 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.
the second a step higher than
the first and having two
alcoves (recess} or
'tokonomas', a special
feature of traditional
Japanese houses
hakoniwa (box garden) suffices to
separate the house from the
outside.
genkan, that indispensable
entrance room or foyer, with floor
of concrete or cement, or pebbles
set in cement.
The Tatami is the platform Japan
for indoor living-for work, for
reflection or meditation, for leisure
activities, for family councils. for
artistic endeavors and for
entertainment.
In almost all homes. reverence for
departed family members, rather
than the religious con- notations, is
the imperative for a Buddhist altar
(budsudan}.
Also a family room is the chanoma, space for tea, like a
corridor, where the family gathers in the chanoma around a
traditional charcoal brazier (hibachi)
A low Japanese table is placed
over a sunken square called the
Kotatsu, into which the legs can
be lowered in winter for warmth
supplied by small shallow gas or
electric heaters.
TEA HOUSES
The tea house represents
a most exclusive Japanese
social institution, and was
the resort of the most
sophisticated and
fashionable world. In no
sense can it be identified
with a normal public
restaurant.
BATH HOUSES
The Japanese inn closeIy
resembles the large
private house but it is
planned round a central
courtyard.
THANK YOU!!
RHONA BELLE CANTAGO
Borneo is the largest island in this
archipelago separated by the straits of
Macassar on the East from Celebes, to the
North of Borneo and Celebes lies the
Philippines.
Much of this vast region is mountainous, a
long curving band of active and extinct
volcanoes passes through Sumatra, Java and
Bali, and Volcanic rock has been extensively
used for construction work.
Indonesia almost bestrides the equator, with
a tropical climate and not great seasonal
variation in temperature. The climate is also
generally humid and under the influence of
both monsoons.
In Middle Java, an architecture of solid stone
walls, corbelled arches and with no load-
bearing columns, which reached its
consummation with the stupa of and the
Temple complex of Prambanam.
Native Indonesian tradition,
reflected especially in the
sculpture which already
foreshadows the folk-art of
the Javanese "wayang"
puppet drama.
It is seen at its architectural best in the
Menang Kabau homes of South central
Sumatra, which are carried on carved and
decorated wooden pillars, the facades
adorned with colour patterns of intertwined
flowers in white, black and red, the inward-
sloping ridge (saddle back) roof with high
gables at each end ornamented with buffalo
horns.
Native Indonesian tradition,
reflected especially in the
sculpture which already
foreshadows the folk-art of
the Javanese "wayang"
puppet drama.
STUPA OF BARABUDUR
THANK YOU!!
RHONA BELLE CANTAGO
