Lit. "ceiling." A ceiling made of cypress boughs erected over seats, according to the Engishiki 延喜式 and Yukiin 悠基院. There are two basic types of ceilings tenjō. There are the two basic types that close off the upper part a room, hall, etc. from an upper story with its framework on the underside of the roof. The other is an open beam ceiling, yaneura tenjō 屋根裏天井, that is opened completely to the underside of the roof.
Ancient ceilings are believed to have been constructed with bamboo poles or stripped branches placed in a grid pattern with woven straw mats laid on top. Some believe that this arrangement was the forerunner of the widely used coffered ceiling *gōtenjō 格天井. See *kumiire tenjō 組入天井, *oriage tenjō 折上天井, *kiriage tenjō 切上天井, *saobuchi tenjō 竿縁天井, *kagami tenjō 鏡天井, *funazoko tenjō 舟底天井.
Ceilings may also be classified according to the material used. See *ajiro 網代, *gamamushiro tenjō 蒲蓆天井, *kakekomi tenjō 掛込天井, kamibari tenjō 紙貼天井, tsuchinuri tenjō 土塗天井. They may also be classified by location.