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  • (-) Architecture (186)
  • Accessories (1)
  • Aristocratic Dwellings (4)
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  • Decorations (12)
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  • Gardens (19)
  • Gates (6)
  • General Terms (67)
  • Joints (8)
  • Lanterns (3)
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  • Roofing Tiles (6)
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  • Structures (8)
  • Tea Houses (15)
  • Tools (3)

Displaying 1 - 100 of 186
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
yaegaki 八重垣

Lit. "eightfold fence." A type of double-screen sleeve fence *sodegaki 袖垣 in…

Architecture, Gardens
yagenbori 薬研堀

A widely used moat with sides that slope like an earthen embankment. The name is derived from the moat having a bottom with…

Architecture, Castles
yagura kemudashi 櫓煙出 ✓

Also written 櫓烟出. Also read yagura kemuridashi. An opening constructed in a thatched roof to allow the escape of…

Architecture, General Terms
yagura 櫓 ✓

A guard tower set atop the corners of a castle's stone wall and other strategic positions overlooking the surrounding area.…

Architecture, Castles
yaguramon 櫓門 ✓

Also called a watari yaguramon 渡櫓門 or just *watari yagura 渡櫓. A…

Architecture, Gates
yaguramono 櫓物

The largest sized roof tile used to connect the turret corridors *watari yagura…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
yaguranuki 櫓貫

Commonly double-penetrating, diagonally placed beams that connect the main post *…

Architecture, General Terms
yakata tenjō 屋形天井

1 A ceiling with the same pitch as the roof. Really, an exposed ceiling *…

Architecture, General Terms
yakatajiro 館城

Also written 屋形城.

1 A structure that combines the daily living quarters of a mansion with the…

Architecture, Castles
yakimono-no-tō 焼物の塔

A bisque ware or unglazed pagoda. Plain, unglazed small pagodas are called deitō 泥塔, meaning mud pagodas.…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
yaku-ishi 役石 ✓

Also kaname-ishi 要石. Rocks and stones which in a tea garden *roji 露地…

Architecture, Tea Houses
yakuba 役場

1 The parts of a stone wall such as exterior corners, top surfaces, or openings for drainage where…

Architecture, General Terms, Folk Dwellings
yakuboku 役木

Also read yakugi. The allocation of shrubbery in a garden, particularly applied to trees which set the mood of a…

Architecture, Gardens
yakueda 役枝

Lit. "roles of branches." The branches of a flower or tree that are given a name based on their "role" in the structure of…

Architecture, Gardens
yakugawara 役瓦

A generic term for all types of roof tiles which serve a special purpose. These tiles include: sleeve tiles *…

Architecture, Roofing Tiles
yakuimon 薬医門 ✓

A gate with a gable roof constructed with two square or rectangular main posts and two square or circular secondary posts *…

Architecture, Gates
yakushidō 薬師堂 ✓

A Buddhist temple hall housing a statue of *Yakushi 薬師 (Sk: Bhaisajyaguru), the Buddha…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
yama-ishi 山石

Lit. "mountain stone." A generic name for stones found or quarried in the mountains. Unlike sea stones *…

Architecture, Gardens
yamajiro-no-koguchi 山城の虎口

A mountain castle entrance. The entrance *koguchi 虎口 of a mountain…

Architecture, Castles
yamajiro 山城 ✓

Lit. "mountain castle." A castle built on a mountain to take advantage of the mountain's topography. One of the three main…

Architecture, Castles
yamame uchikomizumi 山目打込積み

Lit. "mountain eye pounding and inserting piling." A dry construction method used to pile stones for a stone wall *…

Architecture, Castles
yamamichi katō 山道火灯

A window used especially in the Zen style *zenshūyō 禅宗様; a type of ogival…

Architecture, General Terms
yamato 大和 ✓

1 An abbreviation for yamatouchi-no-to 大和打の戸 or yamatouchi 大和打. A door that has vertical…

Architecture, General Terms
yamato-e shiki teien 大和絵式庭園

Lit. "gardens in the style of Japanese painting." Also called sakuteikiryū 作庭記流 (gardens in the lineage of the…

Architecture, Gardens
yamatobei 大和塀 ✓

A fence made of widths of bleached bamboo spaced about 45 cm apart and held in place by bark. This type of fence is used in…

Architecture, Gardens
yamatobuki 大和葺 ✓

1 A type of board roofing made by first spacing boards of equal width at predetermined intervals and then…

Architecture, General Terms, Tea Houses
yamatokaki 大和掻

A type of bamboo lattice entwined with wisteria vine set in a window opening *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
yamatomune 大和棟

An alternative term for a roof style found on Edo period farmhouses nōka 農家, called *…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
yanagidana 柳棚

Lit. "willow shelf." An asymmetrical arrangement of three decorative shelves tokowakidana 床脇棚 arranged in the…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings
yanagikugi 柳釘

Also yanagikakekugi 柳掛け釘. A nail hammered into a partially plastered post yanagibashira 柳柱 (see *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
yanakadake 屋中竹

Also yamadake 屋間竹. The bamboo purlins, about 20-30 cm in circumference, that are placed about 30-36 cm apart over a…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
yane-ita 屋根板

A generic name for various types of roofing boards including *noji-ita…

Architecture, General Terms
yane kōzō 屋根構造 ✓

The construction of the roof framework or roof truss over the body of a building. The essential framing for a gable roof *…

Architecture, General Terms
yane 屋根 ✓

Also called okugai 屋蓋, lit. "roof covering." A generic term for various types of roofs, roof styles, and roofing.…

Architecture, General Terms
yanebuki 屋根葺

Roofing or roof covering. The most commonly used types of roofing are clay tiles *…

Architecture, General Terms
yanegae 屋根替

Rethatching, retiling, or reshingling a roof whereby old roofing is replaced with new roofing.

Architecture, General Terms
yanekugi 屋根釘

Also kobanekugi 小羽根釘. Small round bamboo roofing nails, with a diameter between 2.1 to 2.8 mm and a length from 50…

Architecture, General Terms
yaneura 屋根裏

1 See *keshō yaneura 化粧屋根裏.

2 An…

Architecture, General Terms
yaraiko 矢来子 The framing members of a fence. They may be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or arranged to form squares or lozenges. A variety… Architecture, General Terms
yareigeta 破井桁 ✓

Lit. "broken well crib." Also yabureigeta. A design used for muntins *kumiko…

Architecture, General Terms
yariganna 槍鉋

A plane thought to have been the only plane employed in ancient times to pare and finish timber. Today carpenters do not use…

Architecture, Tools
yarimizu 遣水 ✓

Lit. "water course." An archaic term for a shallow, curving garden stream. The term, found in the 11th-century garden manual…

Architecture, Gardens
yarisama 鑓狭間

A loophole for thrusting pikes and spears. Typically, they are installed in narrow locations beside main castle entrances…

Architecture, Castles
yasaka-zukuri 八坂造

Also *yasaka-zukuri 祇園造. A style of shrine architecture which began in the…

Architecture, Shrines
Yashamon 夜叉門 ✓

An eight-legged gate *hakkyakumon 八脚門 (1653) located at Rinnōji Taiyūin…

Architecture, Gates
yashikijiro 屋敷城

A small castle or fortification built like a a country house or mansion yashiki 屋敷. In the middle ages, it usually…

Architecture, Castles
yashikimon 屋敷門 ✓

1 The front gate of a warrior's manor house.

2 A gate, now called Kyū tōjin…

Architecture, Gates
yashiro 社

1 A Shinto shrine.

2 In very ancient times before permanent buildings were erected…

Architecture, Shrines

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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