Lit. "Shitennōji 四天王寺 style"; also called Tachikawa-ryū 立川流. A school of carpenters during the Edo period. The carpenters of this school were known for their skill in producing temple and shrine buildings in the Japanese or wayō style *wayō 和様. Among the many families of master artisans the Heinōchi 平内 and Tsuru 鶴 -- both early 17th century and both originally from Wakayama prefecture -- were of the Shitennōji school. They were responsible for keeping the modular construction techniques used by the Shitennōji school a secret. Other Shitennōji style artisans included the Kōra 甲良 and the Tsujiuchi 辻内, from Shiga Prefecture. These four groups of carpenters eventually went to the Kantō 関東 region and also worked on the Nikkō Tōshōgū 日光東照宮 in Tochigi Prefecture. Because of their excellent craftsmanship and superb sense of design, they were highly esteemed by Tokugawa 徳川 affiliated construction experts.