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  • (-) Architecture (141)
  • Accessories (1)
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  • Gardens (18)
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  • General Terms (44)
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  • Tea Houses (14)
  • Tools (3)

Displaying 1 - 100 of 141
Title Contains Image(s) Description Keywords
ebi-no-koshi 海老の腰

Also written 蝦の腰 or 蝦腰. A type of decorative molding *kurigata 繰形, used on…

Architecture, Decorations
ebikōryō 海老虹梁 ✓

Also written 蝦虹梁.

An usually-shaped rainbow tie beam thought to resemble the back of a lobster or shrimp or an s-shape…

Architecture, General Terms
ebisubashira 恵比須柱

1 A structural post considered sacred in an Edo period vernacular house *…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
ebisudō 夷堂

A simple structure that was usually erected in the center of a market place to house the deity *…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
ebizuka 海老束

Also written 蝦束; also hinazuka 雛束. 

A small strut with chamfered corners used between two staggered…

Architecture, General Terms
eburi-ita 柄振板 ✓

Also written 絵振板 or 恵振板.

A board cut in a decorative shape and attached at a right angle to the projecting end of a…

Architecture, General Terms
eburidai 柄振台 ✓

Also written 絵振台. Also called onigawaradai 鬼瓦台, *onidai 鬼台. 

…
Architecture, General Terms
edazuka 枝束

Lit. branch strut. Also called hōzue 方杖; hasuzuka 斜束 or nanamezuka 斜め束. Diagonal braces used in…

Architecture, General Terms
edazumi 枝炭 ✓

Lit. branch charcoal. A type of charcoal which is both ornamental and easy to ignite, used in either a sunken hearth *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
edogawara 江戸瓦

An archaic term for tiles of low quality used in Edo (now Tokyo) during the Edo period to roof tenement houses *…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
edoguro 江戸黒 ✓

Lit. Edo black. A black plaster finish applied to the walls of fireproof mud-plastered storehouses *…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
edoma 江戸間

A standard unit of measurement used in Edo and various towns in the Kantō 関東 region. In constructing an ordinary…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
eitaitō 永代灯

Also jōyatō 常夜灯. 

A device to prevent the votive light in a lantern from going out.

Architecture, Lanterns
ekimon 掖門 ✓

Also written 腋門, or read *wakimon 脇門. 

A small gate…

Architecture, Gates
emadō 絵馬堂 ✓

Lit. picture horse hall. Also called emaden 絵馬殿; emadokoro 絵馬所 or gakuden 額殿 (frame hall),…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
emyōbuta 慧明蓋

The domed lid of a tea ceremony kettle with an indentation or depressed area around the knob. Sometimes called a fuji…

Architecture, Tea Houses
en-ita 縁板 ✓

The boards used to make the floor over a veranda framework. There are two common methods: kirime-en 切目縁 and …

Architecture, General Terms
en-nageshi 縁長押

Also written 椽長押; sometimes called *kirime nageshi 切目長押. A non-…

Architecture, General Terms
En'ya 園冶

Ch: Yuanye. Lit. garden building. The only extant treatise on classical Chinese garden construction. Written by the…

Architecture, General Terms, Document
en 縁

1 Also *engawa 縁側. A veranda. Formerly, en and …

Architecture, General Terms
enbashira 縁柱

Also engawabashira 縁側柱. 

Posts or pillars usually set on the floor boards *…

Architecture, General Terms
enchi 園池

Also written 苑池. Lit. garden pond. The large ponds in gardens of the Nara, Heian, and Kamakura periods. Specifically, the…

Architecture, Gardens
enchūza 円柱座

Lit. circular pillar seat. A rounded molding carved into the top of a base stone *soseki…

Architecture, General Terms
endō 円堂

Lit. circular hall. Although the literal meaning of endō is round structure (see *…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
engamachi 縁框 ✓

A heavy horizontal member attached to the outside of the veranda framework over the veranda struts *…

Architecture, General Terms
engatō 円瓦当

Also called *gatō 瓦当. The circular pendant tiles attached to semi-circular…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
engawa 縁側 ✓

Also wirtten 掾側. The area beside or surrounding the straw matted *tatami 畳…

Architecture, General Terms
engetsukyō 円月橋 ✓

Lit. full moon bridge. A semi-circular garden bridge that, when reflected in the water below, presents the circular…

Architecture, Gardens
enkazura 縁葛

The horizontal boards positioned across the front of a veranda on top of the struts *…

Architecture, General Terms
enmimi-ita 縁耳板 ✓

Lit. veranda ear board. The outermost board on the kure-en 榑縁 type of veranda which has long floor boards running…

Architecture, General Terms
ennuki 縁貫

A penetrating tie-beam that connects and strengthens the veranda struts *enzuka…

Architecture, General Terms
ensaki chōzubachi 縁先手水鉢 ✓

Lit. end of the veranda water basin. A type of tall, cylindrical wash basin *…

Architecture, Gardens
enseishukugata chōzubachi 円星宿形手水鉢

Lit. round star type. A variety of *ensaki chōzubachi 縁先手水鉢, end of…

Architecture, Gardens
enshūgaki 遠州垣

Lit. Enshū gate. A type of projecting fence *sodegaki 袖垣 featuring upper…

Architecture, Gardens
enshūgata tōrō 遠州形灯籠

One type of lantern. Generally six-sided with an elongated canopy *kasa 笠 and…

Architecture, Lanterns
ensōdoko 円窓床 ✓

Also written 円相床; also marumadodoko 丸窓床. A circular window placed in the center of the rear wall of an alcove *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ensōgaki 円窓垣

Lit. circular window fence. A common type of projecting fence *sodegaki 袖垣…

Architecture, Gardens
ensōhishi sodegaki 円窓菱袖垣

Lit. circular window lattice sleeve fence. A type of narrow screen fence *sodegaki…

Architecture, Gardens
ensumigi 縁隅木

Lit. veranda corner rafter. Also called sumisasu 隅扠首. 

A brace placed under the outer corners of a…

Architecture, General Terms
entsunagi 縁繋

Also written 椽繋. Short horizontal bearers that join the outer veranda posts *enzuka…

Architecture, General Terms
enza 円座

1 A matting made of straw, rushes, sedge, or cattails woven in a spiral pattern that was used for bedding,…

Architecture, Accessories
enzanseki 遠山石

Lit. distant mountain stone. The stone in an arrangement placed above or behind artificial mountains *…

Architecture, Gardens
enzuka 縁束 ✓

Also written entanbashira 縁短柱, also pronounced entsuka. Struts *tsuka…

Architecture, General Terms
eriwa 襟輪 ✓

Also called iriwa 入輪. Lit. a collar ring. A collar tenon. It has a step-like piece called a collar, cut on each…

Architecture, Joints
eriwadome 襟輪留

Also called iriwadome 入輪留 or eridome 襟留. Lit. collar miter. An angle joint *…

Architecture, Joints
etsuri 桟

Also read san. Lit. hanging branches. 

1 A sheathing made of boards and bamboo woven…

Architecture, General Terms
etsuriana 桟孔

The holes made in roofing lath to allow rope to be passed through and tied, thus making the lath secure. An example can be…

Architecture, General Terms
etsuridake 桟竹

Sometimes called *tarukidake 垂木竹: noboridake 昇竹 or sasudake…

Architecture, General Terms
eyō hijiki 絵様肘木

Bracket arms *hijiki 肘木, that are decorated with *…

Architecture, Decorations
eyō 絵様

1 A Nara and Heian periods term used to refer to any kind of design, which included a sketch for a statue…

Architecture, Decorations
eyō kurigata 絵様繰形

Also written 絵様刳形. Low relief carvings which use curved lines. The carvings are found, for example, on nosings *…

Architecture, Decorations
eyōjakuri 絵様决

A low relief architectural decoration carved into beams *hari 梁, nosings…

Architecture, Decorations
gagari 鋸賀利

A heavy duty ripsaw. It is similar to a coarse, ordinary, standard ripsaw that cuts along the wood grain except that the…

Architecture, Tools
gagyō 丸桁 ✓

Also read gangyō, gayō, nokigeta 軒桁, or *dashigeta…

Architecture, General Terms
gagyōbane 丸桁桔

Also read gangyōbane. A single heavy beam attached at right angles to the eave purlins *…

Architecture, General Terms
gaien 外苑

Lit. outer garden. The area outside the sacred enclosure of a shrine, mausoleum, or temple. Typically, the approach to the…

Architecture, General Terms
gaiku 外区 ✓

The section of a pendant *gatō 瓦当, outside the lotus flower motif, on a semi…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
gakubuchi 額縁

1 The wooden rails and stiles around doors or windows. 
2 Casing, trim, or…

Architecture, General Terms
gakumi-ishi 額見石

Lit. plaque-viewing stone. One of the trump stones *yakui-ishi 役石 in the…

Architecture, Tea Houses
gakusho 楽所 ✓

Also called gakuya 楽屋 or gakudokoro 楽所. A small, simple, open building, like a roofed platform at some…

Architecture, Shrines
gamamushiro tenjō 蒲蓆天井 ✓

Also called gamatenjō 蒲天井. A wood-board ceiling to which reed-mace, braided straw or rush mats are attached.…

Architecture, Tea Houses
gan'uchi 雁打

Lit. flying geese. The poetic name given to a type of zig-zag arrangement of stepping stones *…

Architecture, Gardens
ganburigawara 雁振瓦 ✓

Also called *kanmurigawara 冠瓦, *…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
gangi hashigo 雁木梯子 ✓

Lit. zig-zag ladder. A kind of ladder, hashigo 梯子(see *kaidan 階段),…

Architecture, General Terms
gangi 雁木

Also written 岸岐.

1 1) A general term for any architectural element built in a stepped or zigzag…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings, Tools
gangibō 雁木棒

A thatching tool, kayayane fuki kōgu 茅屋根葺き工具, with a timber head, about 25 x 30 x 5 cm, fixed to a cylindrical…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
gangidana 雁木棚

Also aikidana 合木棚 or kangidana 函木棚. An alcove in a *shoin…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings, Tea Houses
gangizaka 雁木坂

One type of warrior run *mushabashiri 武者走, comprised of stone steps …

Architecture, Castles
ganro-no-seki 丸炉席

Also called chadō 茶堂. A tea ceremony room *chashitsu 茶室 which…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ganro 丸炉

Also called *ganro-no-seki 丸炉席. A cylindrical iron stove used in a tea…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ganwaridoko 龕破床

Also called ganaidoko, gangōdoko 龕合床. An alcove with the floor board the same height as the matted room, a…

Architecture, Tea Houses
garan haichi 伽藍配置 ✓

The arrangement of buildings within the precinct of a Buddhist temple constructed between the late 7th century to 12th…

Architecture, General Terms
garan-ishi 伽藍石

Also garanseki 伽藍石. Lit. temple stone. A base stone from a ruined temple used as a stepping stone *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
garan 伽藍

An abbreviated form of sōgya ranma 僧伽欄摩 (Sk: samgha arama). Lit. A garden for monks. Also rendered as sōen…

Architecture, General Terms
gasshō 合掌

1 The triangular frame created by joining a pair of cruck-like members *…

Architecture, General Terms, Art History, Sculpture
gasshō-zukuri 合掌造 ✓

A distinctive style of farmhouse nōka 農家 which evolved in the Edo period in the Shirakawa 白川 and Shōkawa 荘川 areas…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
gasshōhire 合掌鰭

Also oigata 笈形, *taiheibire 大瓶鰭. Lit. principal-rafter fins. A…

Architecture, Decorations
gatō mon'yō 瓦当文様 ✓

Patterns, motifs, designs applied to the circular antefixes *gatō 瓦当 on semi…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
gatō 瓦当 ✓

1 Eave-end tiles with a circular or semi-circular ornamental pendant. Gatō were brought to Japan…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
gawageta 側桁

Also pronounced kawageta. 
1 Exterior wall purlins. Long horizontal beams *…

Architecture, General Terms
gawakabe 側壁

Also read sokuheki or kawakabe. The exterior wall of a building. An outside wall or end wall.

Architecture, General Terms
gedan 下段

Lit. low step. The lowest level of floor space in a formal *shoin 書院 style room…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings
gedō 外堂

Lit. outer hall. The outer part of a two part structure called the *sōdō 僧堂…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
gegyo 懸魚 ✓

Also gegyo 掛魚 (Ch: guayu); formerly also pronounced kengyo. Gable pendant, lit. hanging fish.…

Architecture, Decorations
gejin 外陣

1 In shrine architecture, the main hall *honden 本殿 is divided…

Architecture, General Terms
gejōseki 下乗席

Lit. dismounting stone. A type of keystone *yakui-shi 役石, stepped on when…

Architecture, Gardens
gekan 下間

Lit. lower space. It is a room adjoining the main rooms of the priests' quarters in a Zen temple. It is located near the…

Architecture, General Terms
Gekkamon 月華門

1 A gate in the corridor connecting the two halls Kyōshoden 校書殿 and Anpukuden 安福殿 in the Imperial Palace at…

Architecture, Gates
Gekkōden 月光殿

A guest hall at Gokokuji 護国寺 in Tokyo. It is a large single storied structure of 7 x 6 bays, and has a hip-and gable roof *…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
genjibei 源氏塀 ✓

Genji 源氏 fence is a board fence with posts set at intervals and a base runner set between the foundation stones of the posts…

Architecture, Gardens
genkaibashi 厳海橋

Lit. Genkai bridge. A type of bridge used to span deep garden streams or ravines. It is constructed with a triangular timber…

Architecture, Gardens
genkan chūmon 玄関中門

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

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
genkan 玄関

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

Architecture, General Terms
gennō 玄能

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

Architecture, Tools
gensōdoko 原叟床

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

Architecture, Tea Houses
gentanryū teien 玄丹流庭園

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

Architecture, Gardens
geshō 牙象

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

Architecture, Decorations
geya kōzō 下屋構造

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

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
geya 下屋

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

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
geya-zukuri 下屋造

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

Architecture, Folk Dwellings

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JAANUS is the on-line Dictionary of Japanese Architectural and Art Historical Terminology compiled by Dr. Mary Neighbour Parent.

Originally built by the Atsumi International Scholarship Foundation, it is now hosted and maintained by the Media Center for Art History at Columbia University