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  • (-) Architecture (170)
  • Accessories (1)
  • Aristocratic Dwellings (9)
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  • Document (2)
  • Folk Dwellings (16)
  • Gardens (14)
  • Gates (6)
  • General Terms (56)
  • Joints (6)
  • Lanterns (4)
  • Roofing Tiles (9)
  • Shrines (5)
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  • Structures (8)
  • Tea Houses (18)
  • Tools (3)

Displaying 1 - 100 of 170
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
ō-ita 大板 ✓

A board which is placed on the host's mat *temaedatami 点前畳,…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ō-itabuki 大板葺

Large wooden shingles which are about 30 cm wide and are laid from the ridge to the eaves. Where the shingles need to be…

Architecture, General Terms
ōatsuzai 応圧材

A load-bearing structural member. Refers to any structural element which supports the roof including pillars *…

Architecture, General Terms
ōbaku kenchiku 黄檗建築

Architecture introduced at temples of the Ōbaku 黄檗 sect, in the Edo period. This sect is one of the three Zen 禅 sects. The…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
ōbaku tenjō 黄檗天井 ✓

Also called wadaruki 輪垂木. An open ceiling found in Buddhist temples of the Ōbaku 黄檗 sect. The architectural style…

Architecture, General Terms
obido 帯戸 ✓

Also called obisando 帯桟戸. A simple wooden door made of thin boards with rails at top and bottom and stiles, left…

Architecture, General Terms
obiguruwa 帯郭

Lit. "belt compound." A long narrow castle compound. Obiguruwa were often constructed on the top of an earthen…

Architecture, Castles
ōbiki 大引 ✓

Also obiki 尾引. Sleepers about 10 cm sq. that extend horizontally at right angle to posts that are erected on a sill…

Architecture, General Terms
ochi-en 落縁 ✓

A outer veranda constructed a step lower than the adjacent floor. It may also be constructed one step lower than a broad…

Architecture, General Terms
ochi-ishi 落石

Lit. "falling stone." Also pronounced otoshi-ishi. One of the trump stones *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
ochigakari 落掛

The junction point of a horizontal and diagonal structural member. For example, the point where the bottom of the hip rafter…

Architecture, General Terms
ochima 落間

Also kiriotoshi 切落.

1 A generic term for a floor that is lower than the main floor of a…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings
ochimune-zukuri 落棟造

A design incorporating a projection from a major building with a roof ridge *mune…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
ochitenjō 落天井 ✓

Lit. "dropped ceiling." Also called otoshitenjō 落し天井. A ceiling in a tea ceremony room above the host's mat *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
odaruki 尾垂木 ✓

A tail rafter. A large rafter which usually extends through the second step of a 3-stepped bracket complex *…

Architecture, General Terms
odawarabuki 小田原葺

Also called da-itabuki 駄板葺. A shingled roof which has bamboo battens and or stones to hold the shingles in place.…

Architecture, General Terms
ōdo 大戸 ✓

1  Lit. "great door." Also called *ōdoguchi 大戸口. The door…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
ōdoguchi 大戸口

1 The main entrance to traditional vernacular houses *minka 民家…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
oga 大鋸

Also pronounced ōga. A ripsaw thought to have been introduced to Japan from China at the beginning of the 15th…

Architecture, Tools
ōgaki 大垣

Lit. "big fence." Large, continuous fences in distinction to short screen fences *…

Architecture, Gardens
ogami 拝

Lit. "praying."
1 Structural elements arranged in such a way as to resemble the image of hands joined in…

Architecture, General Terms
ogami karakusagawara 拝唐草瓦 ✓

The roof tiles positioned like hands joined in prayer covering the triangular framework of a Japanese roof structure. Broad…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
ogamidomoe 拝巴

A peak tile. A semi-cylindrical, elongated, barrel-shaped, hanging tile which covers the broad, concave, eave-end tiles *…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
ogawara 男瓦 ✓

Lit. "male tile." Also written 雄瓦, called *fusegawara 伏瓦, tsutsugawara…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
ogawara 男瓦

Lit. "male tile." A semi-cylindrical cover tile *marugawara …

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
ōgi-no-kōbai 扇の勾配 ✓

Lit. "fan slope." Also ōgikōbai 扇勾配 or miyakōbai 宮勾配 (shrine slope). The concave pitch of a stone…

Architecture, Castles
ōgi-no-nawa 扇の縄

Also written 扇子の縄. A castle plan shaped like a folding fan wherein the fortifications are distributed on either side of the…

Architecture, Castles
ōgidaruki 扇垂木 ✓

Fan rafters. There are two arrangements: those that radiate from a center point on each side of the building; or those that…

Architecture, General Terms
oigata mon'yō 笈形文様

A pattern drawn on a wall on both sides of a type of post called *kentozuka…

Architecture, Decorations
oigata taiheizuka 笈形大瓶束 ✓

A bottle strut *taiheizuka 大瓶束, with a sculptural decoration called …

Architecture, General Terms
ōire ariotoshi 大入蟻落 ✓

Also called kageire ariotoshi 陰入蟻落; ōire arikake 大入蟻掛. A joint made to connect a purlin *…

Architecture, Joints
ōire 大入 ✓

Also written 追入 or 尾入. A dadoed or housed, angled T-joint, which is used to join beams to posts. A shallow square or…

Architecture, Joints
ōji-zukuri 王子造

Also written 皇子造. A style of construction used for a Shinto shrine sanctuary *honden…

Architecture, Shrines
ōkabe 大壁

A wall which is completely plastered so that the pillars or posts are not visible. This method is common for the…

Architecture, General Terms
ōkabe-zukuri 大壁造 ✓

1 A style or method of constructing a wall, in which the basic framework for plastering is made on the…

Architecture, General Terms
okajō 丘城

Lit. "hillcastle." Also termed kyūryō jōkaku 丘陵城郭.
1 A castle built on a hillock, oka…

Architecture, Castles
Ōkakudai 黄鶴台

A sukiya style *sukiya-zukuri 数寄屋造 bathhouse, yokushitsu…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
okamabashira 御竃柱

Also written 御釜柱. A pillar which is erected opposite the main central support pillar *…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
okami 御上

1 A room that abutted the earth-floored area *doma 土間, at its…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
Okazarisho 御飾書

Shogun Ashikaga's 足利 book of tea ceremony implement arrangement, thought to have been written by Sōami 相阿弥 (1455-1525), a…

Architecture, General Terms, Document
okiawase 置合

The arrangement of tea ceremony utensils in preparation for a tea ceremony. It is more rarely called okitsuke 置付.…

Architecture, Tea Houses
okidoko 置床

Also *tsukedoko 付床. An early type of removable alcove formed by placing a…

Architecture, Tea Houses
okidōrō 沖灯籠 ✓

A lantern placed in the water or near the water's edge. These can be clearly viewed from rocks or a boat, and boats use them…

Architecture, Lanterns
okigata 置形

The part of a ceramic tea bowl decorated with pattern. When used in a tea ceremony, the okigata is positioned…

Architecture, Tea Houses
okiro 置炉 ✓

A portable brazier used for a tea ceremony. It is usually 42 cm square with a height ranging from 21-24 cm. The hearth bed…

Architecture, Tea Houses
okiya 置屋

The houses of procurers keeping teams of yūjo 遊女, female entertainers and prostitutes in the authorised pleasure…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
okiyane 置屋根 ✓

The upper roof erected over storehouses, kura 倉, of the *dozō …

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
okkake daisentsugi 追掛大栓継 ✓

An oblique, housed (dadoed) and rabbeted scarf joint. The upper and lower pieces are exactly the same but reversed. The…

Architecture, Joints

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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