toshoku 塗色

The colors of paint found on Japanese style *wayō 和様 temples. Wooden members were often painted red with *tan 丹, and the cut ends were often painted white *gofun 胡粉, or ocher *ōdo 黄土. Lattice windows and stockades were painted green *rokushō 緑青. However, Zen style *zenshūyō 禅宗様 buildings had unpainted wood surfaces, and this influenced temple architecture in general from the Kamakura period (13th century) onward. Some exceptions included the use of black lacquer kuro urushi 黒漆 on buildings, and gold leaf kinpaku 金箔 on Rokuonji 鹿苑寺 (Kinkakuji 金閣寺, 1398) in Kyoto. 

In shrine architecture, uncolored timbers were traditionally used in the ancient shinmei style *shinmei-zukuri 神明造, but after the introduction of Buddhism in the 5th-6th century, colors were applied to shrines, an influence of Buddhist temple architecture. The most lavish example of toshoku is Nikkō Tōshōgū 日光東照宮 (early 17th century) in Tochigi Prefecture, reflecting the popularity of very bright decorative coloring, gokusaishiki 極彩色 in the Momoyama period.