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  • (-) Architecture (121)
  • Accessories (1)
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  • General Terms (47)
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Displaying 1 - 100 of 121
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
raiden 礼殿

Also *haiden 拝殿. A worship hall for Shinto shrine visitors. The plan…

Architecture, Shrines
raidō 礼堂

Also called raihaidō 礼拝堂. A worship hall. When Buddhist temples were constructed during the 7th-8th century,…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
raigō-bashira 来迎柱

Two or four-circular pillars right and left at each corner of the Buddhist altar to define the most sacred place in a temple…

Architecture, General Terms
raigō-kabe 来迎壁 ✓

Also called raigō-heki. A clay or wooden wall erected behind a Buddhist altar *…

Architecture, General Terms
raimon kōshi 雷文格子

Lattice arranged in a fret pattern, used especially on railings of balconies.

Architecture, General Terms
raimon 雷文

Lit. "lightning pattern." Also read ikazuchimon いかずち文. A pattern of thick and thin zig-zag lines. A variation of *…

Architecture, Decorations
ranma 欄間 ✓

A transom. A rectangular opening, longer in the horizontal direction, constructed between the lintels *…

Architecture, General Terms
ranseki 乱石 ✓

Also called no-ishizumi 野石積. Stones with an irregular shape. Those that are somewhat square are called nozura-…

Architecture, General Terms
ransekizumi kidan 乱石積基壇

Also referred to as ranzumi kidan 乱積基壇, ranzō ransekizumi 乱層乱石積, kuzure ishizumi くずれ石積 or simply…

Architecture, General Terms
ransekizumi 乱石積 ✓

Also *ranzumi 乱積. Piling up unhewn rocks or random masonry. The earliest and…

Architecture, Castles
rantō 卵塔

A stone pagoda with an egg-shaped main body placed directly on a base. It differs from the *…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
rantsugi 乱継

Lit. "random joints." Various types of architectural joints that can be either dovetail *…

Architecture, Joints
ranzumi 乱積

Also called *ransekizumi 乱石積, waraizumi 笑い積. Randomly piled natural stones *…

Architecture, General Terms
reibyō 霊廟 ✓

Also byōsho 廟所 or mitamaya 霊屋.
A mausoleum in which the spirit of the dead is enshrined. It may be…

Architecture, Shrines
renben 蓮弁

Lit. "lotus petal."
1 A pendant *gatō 瓦当, found on semi-…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles, Art History, Sculpture
rengejigata tōrō 蓮華寺形灯籠

1 Rengeji type lantern. So named because a pair of these lanterns stand in front of the main building at…

Architecture, Lanterns
Rengemon 蓮華門

Also written 蓮花門. Lit. "Lotus Flower Gate." A gate located in the west wall opposite main east gate, Tōdaimon 東大門 of…

Architecture, Gates
renji 蓮子

Raised dots or bead-like forms that represent the seeds in a stylized lotus flower pattern decorating many pendant tiles *…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
renjimado 連子窓

Also written 櫺子窓. Lit. "a row lath window."

1 A window with vertical or horizontal wooden laths or…

Architecture, General Terms
renketsu tenshu 連結天守 ✓

Also called renketsushiki tenshu 連結式天守. A castle in which the principle tower or keep *…

Architecture, Castles
renritsu tenshu 連立天守

Lit. "connected towers." Also termed renritsushiki tenshu 連立式天守. An extensive, highly-developed castle complex…

Architecture, Castles
rensō 連窓

Multiple windows. Two or more windows connected horizontally, or windows connected within one frame window with vertical…

Architecture, General Terms
rensōmado 連双窓 ✓

Rensōmado means double windows. Two windows in line. Also called *meotomado…

Architecture, General Terms
rigyoseki 鯉魚石 ✓

Lit. "carp stone." A stone placed at the base of a waterfall to symbolize a carp swimming up the waterfall. Good examples…

Architecture, Gardens
Rikyū chadōgu zue 利休茶道具図会

Sen no Rikyū's 千利休 (1522-91) writings concerning measurements for tea ceremony utensils. Yamada Sōhen 山田宗へん (1627-1708)…

Architecture, Tea Houses
Rikyūgaki 利休垣

A fence made of bamboo stakes that alternate with unpeeled wooden stakes. The bamboo and unpeeled stakes have the same…

Architecture, Gardens
Rikyūgata tōrō 利休形灯籠

A type of lantern. Lanterns of various shapes may be called Rikyūgata. It is difficult to judge which are authentic…

Architecture, Lanterns
rinsen 林泉

Lit. "forest and stream."
The ancient word for garden. Rinsen first appeared in the 720 Nihon shoki…

Architecture, Gardens
rinzō 輪蔵

Also called kaiten rinzō 回転輪蔵. Octagonal sutra storage shelves that revolve around a central pillar, which acts as…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
ro-datami 炉畳

Also kagi-datami 鍵畳. The straw mat *tatami 畳, into which…

Architecture, Tea Houses
rō 廊

A roofed corridor or passageway that connects one structure to another. It may also encompass an open area. There are…

Architecture, General Terms
ro 炉 ✓

A sunken hearth. A square box installed into the floor of a tea ceremony room to make a charcoal fire. The standard size…

Architecture, General Terms
rō-zukuri 楼造 ✓

A gate *rōmon 楼門, that appears to have two stories, but in reality is a high…

Architecture, General Terms
roban 露盤 ✓

Commonly used abbreviation of shō roban 承露盤; also called masugata 枡形. Originally, an entire spire *…

Architecture, General Terms
robuchi 炉縁 ✓

The frame placed around the fire-box *rodan 炉壇, in a tea ceremony room *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
robuta 炉蓋 ✓

A wooden lid about 1.8 cm thick used to cover the fixed-hearth *rodan 炉壇 in a tea…

Architecture, Tea Houses
rodai 露台 ✓

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

Architecture, General Terms
rodan 炉壇

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…

Architecture, Tea Houses
roji 露地

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

Architecture, Tea Houses
rōka 廊下

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

Architecture, General Terms
rokkaku endō 六角円堂 ✓

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

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
rokkaku sanjū-no-tō 六角三重塔

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

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
roku 陸

Also riku. A synonym for suihei 水平 meaning level.
1 Level building timbers.
…

Architecture, General Terms
rokuchū-zukuri 六注造

Also called rokkaku yane 六角屋根. A six-sided roof that covers an hexagonal building *…

Architecture, General Terms
rokuyō 六葉 ✓

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

Architecture, Decorations
rōkyō 廊橋

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

Architecture, General Terms
rōmon 楼門 ✓

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…

Architecture, Gates
ronji daruki 論治垂木

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

Architecture, General Terms

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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