A structure with a gable roof *kirizuma-zukuri 切妻造, projecting from the…

1　The entrance gallery or porch used in the guest hall *kyakuden…

A type of hammer with an iron head and an oak handle. The gennō is used to strike a chisel or plane, or to…

Ch: jianbi. Often genpitsubyō 減筆描. Also ryakuhitsu 略筆. Lit. abbreviated brush drawing. An…

Lit. Genroku culture. The middle Edo period *Edo jidai 江戸時代 chūki 中期…

Also known as Minghuang (Jp: Meikō 明皇). Ch: Xuanzong (685-762). The sixth emperor of the Tang dynasty, well-known for his…

A style of alcove *tokonoma 床の間, attributed to Kakukasai Sōsa 覚々斎宗左…

Lit. Gentan lineage garden. A style of late Edo period garden in the Izumo 出雲 district, Shimane Prefecture, associated with…

Genzu mandala. A version of the *Taizōkai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅 that is…

1　Also gejō. A type of molding *kurigata 繰形. The…

A structural system characterized by the creation of a peripheral zone *geya 下屋…

Lit. lower house. Also pronounced shitaya or shimoya. Also written 下家. Also referred to as *…

A form of construction characterized by the use of a strut *tsuka 束 standing…

A beam that spans the peripheral structural zone *geya 下屋, created by extending…

The posts along the outside of the peripheral zone *geya 下屋 created by extending…

Also called hon'yageta 本屋桁. The eaves plate or purlin supported by the *…

A tearoom with a decorative alcove *tokonoma 床の間 placed behind the host's mat…

Lit. lower seat alcove. An alcove *tokonoma 床の間, positioned behind the host's…

A railing *kōran 高欄, with newel posts, oyabashira 親柱, topped with an…

Also pronounced gibōshi, giboju, gibōshu, goboshu. A decoration in the shape of the…

Humorous or satiric paintings, or sketches or drawings done in fun. Typically, giga have human and animal figures…

Also kuregaku 呉楽. Now-lost ancient masked theatrical performances given at temples from the 7th to 9th century.…

Masks worn for performances of *gigaku 伎楽, now-lost temple processions and…

Goddess of the Arts. A minor Buddhist deity revered in Japan as patroness of the arts. According to the Gigei tennyo…

Sk: kalpa. Regulations prescribing Esoteric Buddhist mikkyō 密教 ceremonies, incantations and services, and the…

Silver Buddha. Bronze was the most frequent metal used in the production of Buddhist statues. Where silver was used instead…

Lit. Ginkakuji type. One kind of water basin *chōzubachi 手水鉢, based on the…

An annual festival at Yasaka Jinja 八坂神社 and surrounding area of Kyoto, and a popular subject of Japanese genre painting *…

Also called *yasaka-zukuri 八坂造. The style of the main shrine building *…

Also sōgishi 僧祇支 (Sk: Sankaksika). A robe worn by Buddhist priests under the *…

Also called Kugyōmon 公卿門 or Karagomon 唐御門. A 4-legged gate *…

Also called *ura-ita 裏板. The panel used to fill the space made by the…

1　Also *betsuin 別院. A branch temple.

2…

Burdock masonry. A construction technique used to lay the stones in a dry stone wall *…

A collection of iconographical line drawings *hakubyō 白描 in handscroll form…

The wooden ribs or coffers laid in a criss-cross pattern to form a coffered ceiling *gō…

An Esoteric Buddhist hall dedicated to the central Buddha of the Shingon 真言 sect, *…

Also gobutsukan 五仏冠, gobutsu hōkan 五仏宝冠, gochi nyoraikan 五智如来冠, gohō tenkan 五宝天冠. A…

Lit. Five Wisdom *nyorai 如来 (Sk: Tathagatas); this refers to the Five Buddhas…

Also called shinmendō 真面堂. A very small open building 1 x 1 bay (2.49 m) with a large central pillar to which are…

Also sometimes called godaison 五大尊. Lit. five great *myōō 明王. Myōō…

A hall dedicated to the five guardian kings, also called the five renowned deities *Godai…

Lit. five great bodhisattvas of strength. Also godairikiku 五大力吼 (five roars of great strength) or godairikison…

The technique of scattering drops of shell white *gofun 胡粉 onto a finished…

1　A white pigment *ganryō 顔料, used in Japan from the Muromachi…

The white pigment used for the white face powder of figures in a woodblock print *ukiyo-…

Lit. five elements of stones. A name for the five types of functional and decorative stones *…

Lit. theory of five elements. A basic principle of Chinese geomancy and cosmology adapted in Japanese garden design. The…

Ch: wubai luohan. Five hundred arhats *rakan 羅漢, a Buddhist art subject…

Maid of (the country of) Wu 呉. The only female mask in the *gigaku 伎楽 repertory…

A five-storied pagoda usually 3 x 3 bays square with the central bays used as entrances. The corner bays most often contain…

Lit. a five cornered measuring box. A method used to determine the proportions of a bracket arm *…

Lit. combining volumes. Long, complicated revenge stories which required two, three, or up to ten booklets, that were sewn…

Any gate five bays wide of which the three center ones are usually entrances. Often, there is only one opening for passage…

A five-bay gate. A five-bay, three-opening gate is called *goken-sanko 五間三戸…

Also written 御光. Aureole. The light emitted from the Buddha. Often expressed as a halo *…

Lit. Man of (the country of) Wu 呉, a gigaku mask *gigakumen 伎楽面,…

Also read gokōshiyui Amida. Lit. *Amida 阿弥陀 Meditating for Five Kalpas, a kalpa…

A short club with five prongs at each end, usually made of gilt bronze. The central grip is encircled by demons' eyes …

Bright, strong color applied in layers to a painting, Buddhist image or architectural structure. The technique involves…

The space created by the coffers or ribs *gōbuchi 格縁 of a coffered or latticed…

Small buildings at Buddhist temples of Shingon 真言 and Tendai 天台 sects, used especially for Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō…

Also gomazuki ごまずき. A woodblock print *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 technique whereby a…

Also *kariden 仮殿, karidono; utsushidono 移殿. A temporary…

Also called ishinoma-zukuri 石の間造, *yatsumune-zukuri 八棟造, and…

Lit. row of five stones. One arrangement of stepping stones *tobi-ishi 飛石. It…

Type of a chamfers cut on a square timber or square post with a ratio of 1/20 is called gorinmen along each corner…

Lit. five-ring pagoda. Also gorin 五輪, gorin sekitō 五輪石塔, hōkaitō 法界塔, gorin tōba 五輪塔婆,…

Lit. rolling stones. Small round stones about 10 cm in diameter used for the drainage areas around the stooping basin *…

Lit. five seasonal festivals. A popular pictorial theme in Edo period art. The five Chinese-inspired festivals are: …

An *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 subject depicting ladies and noblemen in formal attire, which…

Imperial carts. Ox carriages used by the emperor and empress, or aristocrats. Gosho 御所, meaning the Imperial Palace…

Also called gosho oni-ita 御所鬼板 or goshomune oni-ita 御所棟鬼板. Lit. the ridge of an imperial palace. The main…

Ch: Wuzu. The Chinese priest Kōnin 弘忍 (Ch: Hongren, 601-75). The fifth patriarch of the Zen (Ch: Chan) sect. Representations…

A coffered ceiling. A ceiling with ribs framing recessed panels.

1　The simplest type of coffered…

Painters who were given a salary in the service of the shogunate or daimyō 大名. Although the Imperial Court and…

Lit. five leaves. A decorative pattern carved into the shape of five petals, and used on a gable pendant *…

Lit. mudra of the Vanquisher of the Three Worlds (SK: trailokyavijaya mudra). A mudra or hand gesture *…

Also Shōzanze Myōō 勝三世明王. Lit. *myōō 明王 who subjugates the three worlds…

The internal organs of the body as defined in Chinese medicine kanpō 漢方. A model of the internal organs, made of…

Also called Butō 武塔, Gion Tenjin 祇園天神, or simply Tennō 天王. The deity of Yasaka Jinja 八坂神社 in Gion 祇園, Kyoto, also called…

White pigment *ganryō 顔料 including shell lime *…

Applying an undercoat to paper to be used for painting. The undercoat consists of a thin solution of animal glue *…

Lit. *Amida 阿弥陀 with Red Skin. An image of Amida depicted in red, or less commonly…

A light-colored, opaque pigment *ganryō 顔料 made by mixing white pigment such as…

Lit. pictures of herds of horses. One of several horse themes popular in 16th- and 17th-century screen painting. Unlike…

Also Kanro Gundari 甘露軍荼利 (Sk: Amrtakundalin); also known as Kirikiri Myōō 吉里吉里明王. One of the five great myōō *…

Also written 君持 or 軍遅. Sanskrit kundika. A vase with two spouts, found as an attribute *…

Also *iwa-gunjō 岩群青. A blue pigment made from pulverized azurite, randōkō…

Also written 呉利, and pronounced gori or gurin. A design of stylized bracken-leaf shapes forming repeated…

Lit. Shelves to display armor. They are placed next to an alcove *tokonoma…

Ch: Judiyizhi. A 9th-century Chinese Zen monk famous for his one-finger isshi Zen. According to the Wumenguan…

A name often used for *Shōkannon 聖観音, it refers to the simple (non-esoteric) form of…

An opaque, dark grey pigment *ganryō 顔料 made by mixing black carbon ink *…

Lit. inverted perspective. A visual technique sometimes employed in Chinese and Japanese painting. While the Western…

The reverse arrangement of the fire-box or hearth in a tea ceremony room, or when the guest's mat *…

Also sakabasu 逆蓮, kaikaren 開花蓮, *yuiwata 結綿. A shape that…

Also read gomotsu. The emperor's property. The Imperial Collection of art objects, books, etc., which are either of…

A set of double cabinets with four sliding door panels attached to the ceiling next to the decorative alcove *…

Also written 仰覆蓮華. A type of lotus flower design pattern *rengemon 蓮華文. The…