Lit. airing. Also called mushiboshi 虫干. The practice of inspecting and airing valuables that have been in storage…

A heavy wooden plank placed above the ceiling of the first story of a two-storied pagoda *…

A system used to label each structural members of a building before construction, while being dismantled for repair, or…

Also written 枇杷板.

1　The board inserted between a bottle strut *…

Lit. straight corner.
1　Buildings of any traditional type without curves on structural members under the…

Imperial court dance that is accompanied by Imperial court music, gagaku 雅楽, as performed from the late 8th century…

A style of residential architecture in use among the bushi 武士 or warrior class. As defined by the early 20th-…

Also jukubukku 熟仏供, butsuhan 仏飯, or butsushō 仏餉. Cooked rice made as an offering to the Buddha,…

Narrative paintings, reliefs, or group sculptures of Buddhist stories (sutras or legends), which were made in great…

Lit. stage framework. A framing member that runs the entire width of the upper part of a *…

Lit. proscenium wall. The wall at the front part of a *kabuki 歌舞伎 stage.

A generic term for the structural members which form the framework *honegumi…

Two or four-circular pillars right and left at each corner of the Buddhist altar to define the most sacred place in a temple…

Also called raigō-heki. A clay or wooden wall erected behind a Buddhist altar *…

Lattice arranged in a fret pattern, used especially on railings of balconies.

A transom. A rectangular opening, longer in the horizontal direction, constructed between the lintels *…

Also called no-ishizumi 野石積. Stones with an irregular shape. Those that are somewhat square are called nozura-…

Also referred to as ranzumi kidan 乱積基壇, ranzō ransekizumi 乱層乱石積, kuzure ishizumi くずれ石積 or simply…

Also called *ransekizumi 乱石積, waraizumi 笑い積. Randomly piled natural stones *…

Also written 櫺子窓. Lit. "a row lath window."

1　A window with vertical or horizontal wooden laths or…

Multiple windows. Two or more windows connected horizontally, or windows connected within one frame window with vertical…

Rensōmado means double windows. Two windows in line. Also called *meotomado…

A roofed corridor or passageway that connects one structure to another. It may also encompass an open area. There are…

A sunken hearth. A square box installed into the floor of a tea ceremony room to make a charcoal fire. The standard size…

A gate *rōmon 楼門, that appears to have two stories, but in reality is a high…

Commonly used abbreviation of shō roban 承露盤; also called masugata 枡形. Originally, an entire spire *…

1　An unroofed platform, a dais, or a projected veranda or balcony.
2　A nobleman's…

1　A hallwayor corridor within a building giving access to various rooms.
2　A passageway…

Also riku. A synonym for suihei 水平 meaning level.
1　Level building timbers.
…

Also called rokkaku yane 六角屋根. A six-sided roof that covers an hexagonal building *…

Also called hashirō 橋廊. A covered bridge, often with a resting place at the central point. Rōkyō can…

Also called koshikake daruki 腰掛垂木, ranji daruki 鸞翅垂木, or tenbō daruki 天望垂木.
A flying rafter…

Also *kannonbiraki tobira 観音開扉, double doors that open in one…

Wedges used on the right and left sides to strengthen and to secure a penetrating tie beam inserted into a pillar.

A type of gable roof *kirizuma-zukuri 切妻造. Also called…

Lit. "dragon vehicle." The round or oval section of a pagoda finial *sōrin…

Lit. "willow leaf shelf."
A single decorative shelf constructed a little below the cabinets, tenbukuro 天袋,…