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  • (-) Architecture (166)
  • Accessories (1)
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  • Decorations (13)
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  • Gardens (17)
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  • General Terms (66)
  • Joints (5)
  • Lanterns (3)
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  • Roofing Tiles (7)
  • Shrines (4)
  • Structures (5)
  • Tea Houses (15)
  • Tools (1)

Displaying 1 - 100 of 166
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
ibara 茨

Also called iga いが. Lit. cusp.

1 The point where two curved lines or forms meet. The…

Architecture, General Terms
ibaraki 茨城

Lit. thorn tree fortress. A simple and usually temporary fortress surrounded by thorn trees or briar bushes to defend it…

Architecture, Castles
ichi no ji kuzushi 一の字崩 ✓

A decorative pattern used for muntins on sliding doors *shōji 障子, and transoms*…

Architecture, Decorations
ichi no ji tsunagi 一の字繋

A decorative pattern used for muntins on sliding doors *shōji 障子 and transoms*…

Architecture, Decorations
ichi no ma 一の間

Lit. room one. The innermost and most prestigious room, six to twelve straw mats *tatami…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings, Folk Dwellings
ichi no mon 一の門

The first or main gate of a castle. At Matsuyamajō 松山城 in Ehime Prefecture, the gate plan was square *…

Architecture, Gates, Castles
ichi no oni 一の鬼 ✓

The ogre-face tile *onigawara 鬼瓦, placed at the ends of offspring ridges *…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
ichiboku kaidan 一木階段

A ladder hewed from a single log during the Yayoi period.

Architecture, General Terms
ichijōhan no seki 一畳半の席 ✓

Also written 一帖半の席. A very small tea ceremony room *chashitsu 茶室, no more…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ichijūdana 一重棚 ✓

Also ichijū tsuridana 一重釣棚. A single shelf suspended by a slender bamboo pole. It is made of paulownia when it…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ichimai biraki 一枚開

A single window or door opening. Also, a single door or window. They may swing on hinges one way, both ways, or slide.

Architecture, General Terms
ichimonji dana 一文字棚

A term used in all parts of Japan in the Edo period, for a straight shelf *tana…

Architecture, General Terms
ichimonji gawara 一文字瓦

1 Also called ichimonji nokigawara 一文字軒瓦; ichimonji karakusagawara 一文字唐草瓦. A type of…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
ichimonji 一文字

1 Two strips of fabric directly above and below a painting measuring the exact width of the painting,…

Art History, Painting, Architecture, Gardens
ichirin ike 一輪生 ✓

A small flower vase which is just large enough for one flower stalk. Most vases of this type were made of ceramic but…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ido 井戸

1 A well supplying drinking water. It may be deep or narrow, depending on the depth of the water table. The…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings, Tea Houses
idoko 居所

Shortened form of idokoro 居所. A name for rooms or spaces in the following contexts:

1 In…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
iejiro 家城

Lit. house castle.

1 A castle in the stage of historical development from a strictly military…

Architecture, Castles
igeta 井桁

1 A generic term for any group of structural members set in a grid pattern. 

2 The…

Architecture, General Terms
ijō kōbai 居定勾配

Also abbreviated to ijō 居定. The degree of pitch on the underside of a rafter support *…

Architecture, General Terms
ikazuchimon いかずち文

Lit. lightning pattern. A pattern of thick and thin zig-zag lines. A variation of raimon 雷文 (see *…

Architecture, Decorations
ike niwa 池庭

Lit. pond garden. A very general term for any garden with a pond. It includes other terms such as the archaic garden pond *…

Architecture, Gardens
ike no kokoro 池の心

Lit. heart of the pond. The most important part of a pond, which, may be the center, bottom, or surface. The term is…

Architecture, Gardens
ikegaki 生垣 ✓

Lit. living fence. A type of hedge made of trees, bamboo, or other living plants planted in a row and trimmed so as to form…

Architecture, Gardens
ikekomigata tōrō いけこみ形灯籠

Also written 生込み形灯籠. A lantern which lacks a base; the stem is inserted directly into the ground. Most lanterns of this type…

Architecture, Lanterns
ikken ikka 一間一花 ✓

A type of decorative pattern painted on coffered ceilings *gōtenjō 格天井 or…

Architecture, Decorations
ikken'ya 一軒屋

An independently framed urban-vernacular house *machiya 町家 of a more…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
ikkensha zukuri 一間社造

A style of main shrine building that has a small one-bay sanctuary *honden…

Architecture, Shrines
ikuwamon 的門

A gate at Heijō palace, Heijōkyū 平城宮 (8th century), in Nara that no longer exists but is mentioned in Shoku Nihongi…

Architecture, Gates
ima 居間

Lit. living room. A room commonly utilized as the principal space for daily living.

1 The daily…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
imae 居前

The correct seating position for the host when performing tea ceremony. For example, in the Urasenke 裏千家 school, a portable…

Architecture, Tea Houses
imibiyaden 忌火屋殿

Lit. pure fire hall. A hall for the preparation of food to be offered to the gods at Ise Jingu 伊勢神宮. The character 忌 imi…

Architecture, Shrines
imotsugi 芋継

Same meaning as imomeji 芋目地.

1 A straight-line, end-to-end blind stub tenon *…

Architecture, Joints
in no koguchi 陰の虎口

Defensive castle entrance, or yin entrance. A generic term for various types castle entrance *…

Architecture, Castles
in'yō no kuruwa 陰陽の郭

Defensive castle compounds in no kuruwa 陰の郭 and offensive castle compounds yō no kuruwa 陽の郭. In Chinese,…

Architecture, Castles
in'yōseki 陰陽石 ✓

Lit. yin and yang stone. A pair of stones representing male and female principles or genitalia. Also called on'yōseki…

Architecture, Gardens
inagi 稲城

Also read inaki. Lit. rice plant fortress. A small and temporary defensive palisade of bundles or sheaves of rice…

Architecture, Castles
inago 稲子

Slip fasteners. The wooden or bamboo pieces used on the reverse side of the overlapped boards of a board-and-batten ceiling…

Architecture, General Terms
inakama 田舎間

Also edoma 江戸間. A length of 1.8 m or less, defining the standard length of a single bay: the distance from the…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
inari torii 稲荷鳥居 ✓

A type of gate-like structure *torii 鳥居 at inari 稲荷…

Architecture, Shrines
inazuma kanamono 稲妻金物

T-shaped metal fitting inserted into a track and used for hanging scrolls in an alcove *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
inazuma orekugi 稲妻折釘

Also *nijū orekugi 二重折釘. A twice bent nail that is used under the ceiling…

Architecture, Tea Houses
inazumabishi 稲妻菱 ✓

A architectural design pattern in the shape of a diamond, *hishi 菱, which…

Architecture, Decorations
inazumamon 稲妻文 ✓

Also *raimon 雷文. An architectural design pattern thought to be based on flashes…

Architecture, Decorations
inokosasu 豕扠首 ✓

Also sasuzuka sasuzaoshiki 扠首束扠首竿式, *sasuzao 扠首竿, *…

Architecture, General Terms
inome gegyo 猪目懸魚 ✓

Lit. boar's-eye gable pendant. A gable pendant *gegyo 懸魚, decorated with heart-…

Architecture, Decorations
inomedana 猪目棚 ✓

Also kariokidana 仮置棚. Lit. boar's eye shelf. A two-tiered shelf *nijūdana…

Architecture, Tea Houses
inomemado 猪目窓

Lit. boar's eye window. A window in a tea ceremony structure thought to resemble a boar's eye.

The window is really…

Architecture, Tea Houses

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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