men 面

Also read as tsura, which means the surface or face of a structural member.

1　The chamfer or level that results when corners of a square pillar or post are cut off to produce another plane. The process is called men-wo-toru 面を取る or men-wo-tsukeru 面を付ける. The term *mentoribashira 面取柱 is used when a pillar or post has been chamfered. The simplest type of chamfer is the one which is made by cutting the corners off at a 45 degree angle. This called *kirimen 切面. The width of the chamfer is called menhaba 面幅 and the ratio of its width to that of the breadth of the pillar, hashirahaba 柱幅, varies according to period. The broadest chamfer, ōmen 大面 or ōmentori 大面取, was made during the Heian period, after which time the chamfers gradually became smaller and smaller. If the width of the chamfer is 1/7 that of the pillar, it is called shichimendori 七面取. In the Diagram: a= hashirahaba 柱幅 (the breadth of the pillar). b= *mitsuke 見付 (the surface width of the chamfer). c= men-uchi 面内 (the length of pillar surface left after the chamfer have been cut off). d= menhaba 面幅 (the width of the chamfer). Other types of chamfers include; *kichōmen 几帳面, *karadomen 唐戸面, sarubōmen 猿頬面, *marumen 丸面, and sajimen 匙面.

2　The bays *ken 間, created by the addition of aisles *hisashi 廂 to the core *moya 母屋 of a building. See *kenmenkihō 間面記法.

3　Tsura, refers to the surface or face of a structural member and is written with the same character.