A fort located at a strategic location on a sea coast, riverbank, or island. It was furnished with large guns. Daiba were…

A long, low, rectangular table on which food was served in the emperor's residential compound, Dairi 内裏, of the imperial…

A room that contains a *daiban 台盤, a long, low, rectangular table on which food…

1　A general term that refers to the title or preface, dai 題 or daiji 題辞, and the…

Also daibusshi-shiki 大仏師職, zōbutsu-chōkan 造仏長官. An important Buddhist sculptor *…

Also jōrokubutsu 丈六仏. The term used to describe a very large statue of Buddha. Originally any statue more than…

Lit. Indian style. The style of architecture introduced to Japan when the priest Chōgen 重源 (1121-1206) returned from China.…

Also daibutsuyōkei kibana 大仏様系木鼻. Lit. nosings in the daibutsu style. Incised nosings found on bracket…

Also daibutsuyō tokyō 大仏様斗きょう. Lit. Great-Buddha-style bracket complex. A bracket system introduced by the priest,…

Typical daibutsu style *daibutsuyō 大仏様, decorative carvings *…

A standard lotus pedestal *rengeza 蓮華座 used to support a *…

Also daiyūden 大雄殿.

1　A synonym for main hall *hondō…

1　Believed to be an abbreviated form of *daibandokoro…

Also sōgyari 僧伽梨 (Sk: sanghati). A robe worn by Buddhist priests. The largest of the three robes *…

Also Taigensui Myōō 太元帥明王. Sometimes read Daigen Myōō. In Sanskrit, Atavaka, which means lord of the forest, and which is…

A large crosscut saw with a blade 70 cm long and 30 cm wide that has a wooden handle at each end for two people. This saw…

Also written 大陰虎口. A simple, early form of castle entrance *koguchi …

A unique Chinese style four-legged gate made by Chinese carpenters in 1644 using imported, broad leaf cedar. It is located…

Lit. *myōō 明王 of great awesome virtue. A god thought so powerful as to be able to…

Also called wakibashira 脇柱; taishōbashira 大将柱. Initially, the square post placed at the right front corner…

Translation of Sanskrit Mahesvara (also transliterated as Makeishura 摩醯首羅), one of the many names of Shiva, who, along with…

Also called Yukisuki-no-byōbu 悠紀主基屏風. Folding screens *byōbu 屏風 used…

Also daijōgū. A temporary palace of unstripped timber, untreated grasses and reeds, and bamboo, used for the Grand…

Also read ōnihe matsuri, ōnie matsuri, ōname matsuri, and ōmube matsuri. The Great Food…

Also called daikagurabashira 太神楽柱; *kudabashira 管柱 or…

Lit. large strolling-style garden. A type of large-scale garden which is enjoyed on foot. Most large strolling gardens…

Lit. large lecture hall. The lecture hall at Hōryūji 法隆寺 in Nara is the most famous and oldest extant daikōdō. The…

Also written 大極柱, shin-no-hashira 心の柱, yaku-bashira 役柱, and naka-bashira 中柱.

1…

1　An abbreviation for *Daikokuten 大黒天 (Sk: Mahakala). Regarded by…

Daikokuten is generally famous as a god of luck. He is most familiar in Japan as a fat, smiling figure with a big sack over…

Carpenter.

1　Often pronounced daikō. Also ōtakumi or ōkitakumi in old…

Also written 代目畳, 大目畳. A straw mat about three-quarters the length of a standard size mat, about 135-137 cm long. In Kyoto…

Also called *nakabashira 中柱 or *…

An alcove *tokonoma 床の間, with a wooden base, found in a small tea ceremony…

A placement of the firebox or hearth inside the guest's mat which results in a smaller than normal size tatami mat…

A center joint. An oblique scarf joint combining a housed *daboso 太ぼそ joint and blind tenons. The mortises are…

Also pronounced *ōmon. A generic term for a variety of styles of main gates. One…

Lit. daimyō garden. The Edo period strolling-style *kaiyūshiki teien…

A plane used to shave the base of another plane. It is very important in planing that the base of the plane stock, known as…

Lit. Great Sun. Translation of the Sk. Mahavairocana "(Great) Illuminating One"; also translated as (Dai)Henjō (大)遍照 "(Great…

A general term for gates belonging to the Imperial Palace, Kyoto Gosho 京都御所. The *Shōmei…

Also called ōro. A tea-room firebox or hearth made larger than the normal 42 cm square. Measurements varied, but…

Also written 題箋. Also called *harigedai 貼外題 and gedaigami 外題紙. A…

Lit. great master hall. Daishidō are temple buildings particularly important to the Shingon 真言 sect, established by…

A fairly large, portable, double-shelved display for tea ceremony utensils. Traditionally, it was used at the most formal…

Lit. large *tenshu 天守. The principal tower. The largest tenshu in a…

The largest type of bearing block *masu 斗, usually placed directly on top of a…

Lit. Large pagoda. A 2-storied pagoda. A large pagoda of the *tahōtō 多宝塔 type,…

A large bearing block *daito 大斗 with a bracket arm *…

1　A wall plate or top plate placed along the top of head-penetrating tie beams *…

A mite red, right-angle joint used at the corner, sumi 隅, of a building to join a wall plate, *…

Also called daiyūden 大雄殿 or *daiden 大殿. Lit. great leader's treasure…

A pedestal or dais upon which a Buddhist image is placed. The type of pedestal is related to the type of image it supports…

Also *daiza 台座. The pedestal or base beneath a sculpture, pagoda, or lantern.…

Also kazunemaru 重ね丸. An interjacent tile. A section of a semi-cylindrical roof tile laid between the first broad…

Also dakkanshitsu 脱乾漆, dakkatsu kanshitsuzō 脱活乾漆像, dakkatsu kanshitsu-zukuri 脱活乾漆造. Hollow dry…

1　The traditional term for kinpeki nōsaiga 金碧濃彩画, a painting which has strong colors, particularly…

1　Also written 反. A step. The level part or tread of a flight of stairs. When made of wood, the tread is…

1　A generic term for a level mound or platform raised above the surrounding ground. An earthen mound may be…

A simple step-ladder, also called hashigo 梯子 or hashigodan 梯子段. Examples include a *…

1　A roofing method that uses copper sheets laid in a step-like pattern.

2　A roofing…

Also written 壇正積; danjōzumi kidan 壇上積基壇. A style of podium introduced to Japan from Korea in the latter half of the…

Lit. layered pruning. A basic type of pruning *karikomi 刈込. When used for a…

Lit. cutting scenery. The technique of blocking off scenery outside the garden. Most often a large clipped hedge, …

Lit. a section. A vertical section scale drawing of a building or architectural detail shown either transversely, …

Also yokodanmen-zu 横断面図, also read ōdanmen-zu. Lit. a cross section drawing on the longitudinal axis. …

Japanese paper *washi 和紙 originally made from mayumi 檀 fibers (the…

A Buddhist statue made from fragrant, fine-grained wood such as white sandalwood *…

Sk: Bodhidharma. Ch: Damo. A semi-legendary Indian monk credited with bringing the teachings of Zen (Ch: Chan) to China.…

Also called yamaboko 山鉾, hikiyama 引山, maiguruma 舞車, odoriguruma 踊車, and yatai…

A structural member in the roof of the main part of a dwelling, placed above the 1-bay wide corridor, *…

A wall projecting 15-30 cm outward from the flat top, *inubashiri 犬走り, of a…

1　Also called *gagyō 丸桁 or gangyō. A round-eave purlin…

Small shrine buildings in an early Kasuga style, *kasuga-zukuri 春日造, that…

Also written 伊達. Originally derogatory, the term implies a man arrogant and full of his own prowess; it later came to…

Lit. pictures of Tartars hunting. A popular screen painting theme in the late 16th and early 17th century. The pictures…

1　Also deha 出端. Any architectural member which protrudes, projects, or extends outward. When…

The framing of opaque sliding screens, *fusuma 襖, and translucent sliding…

A one-stepped bracket complex parallel to but separated from the wall by the extension of a rainbow beam, *…

A compound that juts out or is slightly separated from the main components of a castle complex, which include: the main…

Also called de 出.

1　Also called *noki-no-de…

Also debana. A projecting part. An example is the coping that extend past the pillars on either side of a Shinto…

An abbreviated form of idei-no-za 出居座, lit. lodging without, lodging away from the main structure of a residence.…

Also kindei 金泥 and gindei 銀泥.

1　Gold or silver foil ground to a fine powder to…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 used to represent a terrestrial spirit or a dragon god.…

Gold eyes. A Noh mask, *nōmen 能面, representing a mature woman who carries within…

Also called kujirimayu 抉眉, or shakurimayu 決眉. A type of carved molding, *…

1　Outer citadel. Also tsukejiro 付け城, hajiro 端城, edajiro 枝城. A type of branch…

Lit. three-on-one at right angles. Sometimes called crisscrossed 3-on-1. A bearing block and bracket complex consisting of…

A lecture hall at Hōryūji Tōin 法隆寺東院 (Hōryūji East Compound), dating from about the mid-8th century, the time when the East…

Lit. things from overseas.

1　Objects brought from abroad, including numerous art works. See *…

Lit. things from past generations. Art works or antiquities which have been treasured among people for long period of time.…

A fixed-hearth, *ro 炉 or *rodan 炉壇,…

Also pronounced dezumi. Also written 出角. The external corner where two walls join to form an angle. The interior…

Lit. pasted paper leaf book. Also called *kochōsō 胡蝶装, as it is called in…

A loophole, *sama 狭間, that projects out from the frame of a window opening in…

Also hōdō 宝幢, tendō 天幢, or bandō 幡幢. A small, rectangular cloth banner on a pole used as a…

Lit. torso, trunk, cylinder, or barrel. The main body of the half-round or semi-cylindrical part of a cover tile, *…

Lit. dōan enclosure. Also called dōan zashiki 道安座敷 (dōan room). An enclosure used in a tea…

A tea ceremony room with an enclosure, *dōangakoi 道安囲 named after Sen Dōan 千道安 (1546-1606…