Skip to main content

JAANUS

  • # (1)
  • a (84)
  • b (50)
  • c (97)
  • d (101)
  • e (52)
  • f (65)
  • g (89)
  • h (302)
  • i (114)
  • j (75)
  • k (550)
  • m (274)
  • n (219)
  • o (118)
  • r (69)
  • s (465)
  • t (278)
  • u (84)
  • w (37)
  • y (134)
  • z (26)
  • (-) Architecture (78)
  • Accessories (1)
  • Aristocratic Dwellings (1)
  • Buildings (6)
  • Decorations (6)
  • Document (1)
  • Folk Dwellings (4)
  • Gardens (14)
  • Gates (3)
  • General Terms (32)
  • Joints (2)
  • Lanterns (3)
  • Roofing Tiles (2)
  • Storehouses (1)
  • Structures (6)
  • Tea Houses (3)

Displaying 1 - 78 of 78
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
zaimoku 材木 Timber prepared for construction. Architecture, General Terms
zakanshiki teien 座観式庭園

Lit. "seated appreciation style garden." A modern term designating gardens meant to be seen or "appreciated" from a fixed…

Architecture, Gardens
zashiki kazari 座敷飾

The *zashiki 座敷 is a guest room; its name deriving from that of the mat…

Architecture, General Terms
zashiki 座敷 ✓

A generic term for a room covered with straw mats *tatami 畳. In the Heian…

Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings
zashikigura 座敷蔵

A two-story fireproof structure of the storehouse type *dozō 土蔵 that…

Architecture, Storehouses
zazen-ishi 座禅石

Lit. "stone for seated meditation." A large, flat-topped stone which is used for, or thought to be appropriate for…

Architecture, Gardens
Zen'inshiki no niwa 禅院式の庭

Lit. "Zen 禅 temple style gardens." A modern term designating the various types of gardens associated with Zen sect temples…

Architecture, Gardens
Zendō 禅堂 ✓

Also called *sōdō 僧堂; sometimes *masodō…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
Zendōjigata tōrō 善導寺形灯籠

Type of lantern found in the garden of Zendōji 善導寺, Kyoto. Six semi-spherical swellings surround the base and have been…

Architecture, Lanterns
zenigata mizubachi 銭形水鉢

Lit. "coin shape water basin." A type of round water basins *chōzubachi 手水鉢…

Architecture, Gardens
zenkishiki karesansui 前期式枯山水

Lit. "early style dry landscape." The Heian period arrangement of stones in areas with neither a pond nor stream. The 11th-…

Architecture, Gardens
zenmon 前門

An especially impressive front gate or entry. Examples are *hirakaramon…

Architecture, Gates
zenpai 前拝

Old name kizahashi 階 means steps (see *hashi 階). The front steps…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
Zenshitsu 禅室

Sometimes an alternative *Zendō 禅堂.

1 A room for…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
zenshūyō 禅宗様

A style of architecture imported from China during the Song dynasty. It includes the architectural elements that came with…

Architecture, General Terms
Zenshūyō kōran 禅宗様高欄 ✓

Also called Karayō kōran 唐様高欄. A railing or balustrade *kōran 高欄 with…

Architecture, General Terms
Zenshūyō tokyō 禅宗様斗きょう ✓

Also called Karayō tokyō 唐様斗きょう. A Zen style bracket complex. The bracket arms *…

Architecture, General Terms
zentei 前庭

Lit. "front garden." A general term referring to the garden in front of a building. In contrast to the main garden which is…

Architecture, Gardens
zetsu 舌 ✓

Lit. "tongue." A thin ornamental molding *kurigata 繰形, carved on the bottom…

Architecture, General Terms
zōbana 象鼻 ✓

Also read zōhana. A beam projection or nosing *kibana 木鼻, molded or…

Architecture, Decorations
zōkinzuri 雑巾摺 ✓

Also called hōkizuri 掃摺 or zōkindome 雑巾留. A long thin finishing board, similar to a base board, that is…

Architecture, General Terms
zōsaku 雑作

Also witten 造作.
All non-permanent parts of a Japanese building in contrast to those parts that are permanent and…

Architecture, General Terms
zuan 図案

A rough sketch of a building plan including, floor plans, elevations, the placement of doors and windows, etc.

Architecture, General Terms
zuijinmon 随神門

Middle gates *chūmon 中門 with statues of Zuijin 随神, shrine guards…

Architecture, Gates
zushi 厨子

1 A miniature shrine in which Buddhist images or rolls of sutras kyō 経 are kept. Reliquary…

Architecture, General Terms
zushi 辻子

1 Also written 図子, 途子. A crossroads or intersection of two roads. See *…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings

Contributor Login

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