Keywords
Architecture
Castles
A type of loophole *sama 狭間. An opening in a wall for soldiers to shoot through. The uchisoto hachimonji has a cross-section like an hourglass. It is wide at each side and narrow in the center, allowing the greatest freedom of fire while providing the smallest target. The name is derived from the idea of two characters for "eight," hachi 八, placed on their side with the wide opening at each side.