1 Wooden shutters constructed at the various openings of a building. They slide out from a special storage box attached to the wall of the building. When not needed, they are slid back into the storage box. The shutter positioned at the farthest point away from the storage box is moved out first along a single track; each shutter follows the previous one and is pushed until it meets one already in place. Many shutters have mortises *hozo-ana ほぞ穴, on the edge of one side and tenons *hozo ほぞ, on the adjoining side for assuring a close fit. They also may have a tongue and groove, sanehagi 実矧, for the same purpose. When all are in place, they are secured by special wooden bolts otoshizaru 落し猿 (see *saru 猿), that drop into the sills and/or by vertical wooden bolts agezaru 上げ猿 that are pushed up into holes in the lintel *kamoi 鴨居. A sliding horizontal wooden catch holds the agezaru in place. Amado are used at night to enclose the building and ensure its security from thieves. They also protect the interior from wind, rain, or snow. Amado vary in style and size. Some have small sliding panels that can be opened for ventilation in old traditional houses. It is said that amado first appeared around the latter part of the 16th century. They are found on temple buildings, jiin 寺院, some shrine buildings *jinja 神社, vernacular dwellings *minka 民家, and mansions, yashiki 邸. 
Old Arai 新井 House
Hida Minzokumura・Hida no Sato
飛騨民俗村・飛騨の里 (Gifu)
Old Kometani 米谷 House (Nara)
2 Theaters built in the Edo period had amado positioned on the upper story behind the audience's gallery sajiki 桟敷. They were closed in order to darken the interior during a performance.