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

A fire box. The fixed, box-like hearth providing a place for a bed of ashes on which charcoal is burned to heat a kettle of…

Also rōgata chūzō 蝋型鋳造, rōgata imono 蝋型鋳物. A method of metal casting known as the lost-wax…

Ch: Nongyuxian. Lit. "Immortal Rōgyoku 弄玉 (Ch: Nongyu)." According to legend, a court lady of the Spring and Autumn Annals…

Lit. "dewy ground." Commonly known as a tea garden *chaniwa 茶庭,…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the aged, yet beautiful face of…

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

Ch: Louge shanshui. A type of painted landscape composed by combining a multi-story tower or viewing pavilion with…

Also rokkakudō 六角堂. A hexagonal building of relatively small scale found at some temples. Like octagonal halls…

A type of three-storied, hexagonal pagoda made in relief on a copper plate in accordance with an explanation found in the…

The Six Immortal Poets. A pictorial theme depicting six outstanding poets of the 9th century. Designated by Ki no Tsurayuki…

Also rokumaiori byōbu 六枚折屏風. A folding screen with six panels, measuring approximately 1.5 m high and 3.7 m wide.…

The six distances in Chinese landscape painting. Read riku-en. First mentioned by Han Zhuo (Jp: Kan Setsu 韓拙,…

A group of six forms of *Kannon 観音, each of which is responsible for saving…

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 occasionally read rikudō-e. Lit. "six paths."
Paintings of the six paths rokudō 六道 of existence…

Lit. "six character name." The six Chinese characters used to write "Namu Amida Butsu 南無阿弥陀仏." An homage to the…

A Buddhist sculpture workshop *bussho 仏所, active from the 11th-14th century and…

Also *iwa-rokushō 岩緑青. A green pigment *…

The sixth Zen 禅 (Ch: Chan) patriarch, Huineng (Jp: Enō 慧能, 638-713), also considered the 33rd patriarch in descent from the…

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

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

A high gate that is often referred to as a two-storied gate, but in fact does not have two stories. Generally, it is an…

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

A type of Chinese paper *karakami 唐紙. Decorated paper imported to Japan…

Lapis lazuli. Vaidurya in Sanskrit. Originally it meant lapis lazuli or emerald, but from the Six Dynasties period Chinese…

Lit. "lapis lazuli tile." A tile to which a blue glaze ruriyū 瑠璃釉 has been applied. The glaze is made from…

Also read "Roshanabutsu." The Rushana Buddha. Rushana is an abbreviation of Birushana 昆盧舎那 in turn a…

Lit. "abbreviated gooseneck joint." An elongated halving joint. The desired length of timber is cut in half lengthwise. The…

Ch: Lu Dongbin. Also called Lu Yan (Jp: Ryo Gan 呂巌) or Chunyangzi (Jp: Jun'yōshi 純陽子).
A popular Taoist hero,…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the suffering spirit of a woman…

A type of bamboo fence used at Ryōanji 龍安寺, a Zen temple in Kyoto. It is characterized by thick split bamboo that cross…

A double-edged utility saw. A widely used saw which has rip-saw teeth on one side of the blade and crosscut teeth on the…

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

Also called yotsuashi torii 四脚鳥居, gongen torii 権現鳥居 or chigobashira torii 稚児柱鳥居. A Shinto shrine…

Lit. "mandala of the two realms," namely, the *Taizōkai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅…

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

Lit. "green-glazed roof tiles." A decorative green glaze is applied to the pendants *gatō…

Also ryōmegaki 両目垣. An interlocking bamboo fence. Bamboo, about 3 cm in diameter, are cut in half vertically and…

Also abbreviated to ryōnagare 両流. A style of main sanctuary *honden…

Also Raryōō 羅陵王, Ranryōō 蘭陵王 (King Lanling), and Ryūō 龍王 (Dragon King, see *…

1　The part of the kitchen where the finishing stages of food preparation took place and where meals were…

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

A gable roof *kirizuma-zukuri 切妻造, which has no gable…

Paper used for writing and painting; for documents, classical books, Buddhist sutras etc. Ryōshi used in Japan…

The decoration of paper used for calligraphy and painting *ryōshi 料紙. Paper…

A summer house, arbor or pavilion that provided a cool resting place in a garden.

Also written 竜. Ch: long. A dragon.
1　Mythological animal and cosmological symbol of Chinese…

Lit. "dragon pond style." A type of garden featuring a sharply curving pond reminiscent of a dragon's serpentine body. Good…

Lit. "dragon palace style." An uncommon double-storied gate. The lower story has a flat arched entrance whereby the same…

Ch: longhutu. Painting of a dragon *ryū 龍 and tiger …

Lit. "dragon's gate cascade." One type of cascade *baku 瀑 found in Japanese…

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

Lit. "flowing water appreciation style garden."
A general term used to designate any garden focused around a stream.…

A design pattern which represents flowing water. One of the oldest designs in Japan, it appears as parallel 'S' lines…

Lit. "flowing water style of pond and stream."
A type of water feature in a garden that includes a curving water course.…

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

Also read ritsuzō. A Buddhist image which is standing, as opposed to seated (see *…