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JAANUS

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  • (-) Architecture (550)
  • Accessories (1)
  • Aristocratic Dwellings (6)
  • Art History (4)
  • Buildings (29)
  • Castles (30)
  • Decorations (41)
  • Document (1)
  • Folk Dwellings (34)
  • Gardens (43)
  • Gates (18)
  • General Terms (215)
  • Joints (20)
  • Lanterns (8)
  • Measurement (2)
  • Painting (2)
  • Roofing Tiles (30)
  • Sculpture (3)
  • Shrines (17)
  • Storehouses (2)
  • Structures (29)
  • Tea Houses (51)
  • Tools (10)

Displaying 401 - 500 of 550
Title Contains Image(s) Description Keywords
kōkishiki karesansui 後期式枯山水

Lit. late style dry landscape. A type of dry garden *karesansui 枯山水…

Architecture, Gardens
kokoboshi shiki-ishi 小零し敷石

Lit. small scattered paving stones. A type of round-stone paving *tama-ishijiki…

Architecture, Tea Houses
koma 小間

A small tea ceremony room, from two to four and a half mats in size, which best encompasses the characteristics of the…

Architecture, Tea Houses
komachideragata tōrō 小町寺形灯籠

A six-sided lantern type found at Fudarakuji 補陀洛寺 in Kyoto.

Architecture, Lanterns
komai 小舞 ✓

Also written 木舞. In the Shōsōin Monjo 正倉院文書 it appears as 古麻比 komai and in other old documents as 古万比. The…

Architecture, General Terms
komaiura 小舞裏

Lit. reverse side lath. The lath placed between the roof sheathing and the rafters *…

Architecture, General Terms
komajaku 高麗尺

An ancient unit of length which was imported from the Korean kingdom of Koguryo (Jp: Kōkuri 高句麗), equivalent to…

Architecture, Measurement
komasu 小斗

A generic term for bearing blocks that are smaller than the largest type placed on top of a pillar *…

Architecture, General Terms
komayose 駒寄せ

1 A low fence of latticework *kōshi 格子, construction, used to…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
kome-ishi 米石

Lit. rice stone. A type of granite from modern Nagano and Toyama Prefectures. Also called tsume-ishi 詰石, these…

Architecture, General Terms
komise 小店

Also written 小見世.



1 A deep covered walkway *hisashi…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
komochi shōji 子持障子

Two light wooden frames covered with translucent paper *shōji 障子, usually set…

Architecture, General Terms
komochi yamagata 子持山形

A decorative pattern consisting of a pair of parallel zig-zag lines, one thick and one thin.

Architecture, Decorations
Kōmon 閤門

Also written 閣門. The gates on the inner enclosure of the Imperial Palace, and the small gates on each side of the Daigokuden…

Architecture, Gates
kōmon 後門

Lit. rear gate. The best known is found at Kitano Tenmangū 北野天満宮. The gate is an example of *…

Architecture, Gates
komune-zukuri 小棟造

A building with a short roof ridge. One example is a hipped roof.

Architecture, General Terms
kondō 金堂 ✓

Lit. golden hall. The name given to the principal hall housing the most sacred images at Buddhist temples from the Asuka…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
konehozo 小根ほぞ ✓

An angle joint *shiguchi 仕口 with a rabbeted tenon *…

Architecture, Joints
kongōsaku 金剛柵 ✓

Also kongōgaki 金剛垣. A fence made of vertical stakes with decoratively shaped tops resembling the *…

Architecture, General Terms
Konjikidō 金色堂

Also called Hikaridō 光堂 or Konjikiin 金色院. Lit. Gold colored hall. A small Buddhist edifice at…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
konoki 小軒

Lit. small or short eave. An eave, konoki, constructed of short rafters called flying rafters *…

Architecture, General Terms
Konpon chūdō 根本中堂

Lit. original central hall. The main hall, Kondō 金堂 of Enryakuji 延暦寺 (1640), Shiga Prefecture. A large single storied…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
konrō 軒廊

Lit. eave corridor. A roofed corridor with open sides. A connecting corridor between two buildings.

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
konsei fukugōshiki 混成複合式

Lit. mixed complex system. A system of combining various architectural members into a unified structure. For example: the…

Architecture, General Terms
kōraiberi 高麗縁 ✓

Also kōraibuchi 高麗縁, monkōraiberi 紋高麗縁. A decorated binding used to make the edge of a straw mat *…

Architecture, Decorations
kōraimon 高麗門 ✓

A type of gate, lit. Korean gate. Also formerly called *kabukimon…

Architecture, Gates
kōran 高欄 ✓

Also written 鈎欄 or 勾欄, the latter said by some scholars to be the correct characters. But, 高欄 is the more common, popular…

Architecture, General Terms
korō 鼓楼 ✓

A small, two-storied structure *rō-zukuri 楼造, in which a drum is suspended in…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
korobashineda 転ばし根太

Also called umeneda 埋め根太. Sleepers placed directly on the ground or cement floor without using joints or struts.…

Architecture, General Terms
korobi 転

Lit. incline or inclination. Also called *uchikorobi 内転. The incline of…

Architecture, General Terms
kōryō 虹梁 ✓

Lit. rainbow beam. A generic term for any curved, transverse tie beam. It is used almost exclusively in temple or shrine…

Architecture, General Terms
kōryō kaerumata 虹梁蟇股 ✓

A structural framework for a roof that has a gable pediment arranged in a similar structure as the bottle shaped strut …

Architecture, General Terms
kōryō sasugumi 虹梁扠首組 ✓

A roof frame constructed with rainbow beams *kōryō 虹梁 that extend…

Architecture, General Terms
kōryō taiheizuka 虹梁大瓶束 ✓

A structural framework in the gable ends of a roof characterized by the use of bottle struts *…

Architecture, General Terms
kōryōgata-no-kashiranuki 虹梁形の頭貫

Also *mizuhiki kōryō 水引虹梁. A head penetrating tie beam *…

Architecture, General Terms
kōshi 格子

Latticework or grille. Normally latticework is made of wood and grille made of metal. Both are laid out in a grid. The most…

Architecture, General Terms
kōshi irimado 格子入窓 ✓

A latticed window with immovable lattice inserted into the window frame. The window is called degōshimado 出格子窓 if…

Architecture, General Terms
koshi 腰

Lit. hip or haunch.


1 The wainscoting, or wooden panelling, below the mid-point of a wall, or the…

Architecture, General Terms
koshibari-ita 腰貼板

Paneling or plain boards used to finish the lower part of a wall. If only the term *…

Architecture, General Terms
koshibari 腰貼 ✓

Also written 腰張, 腰紙貼. The pasting of paper on the lower part of the clay wall in a tea ceremony room, one piece of which is…

Architecture, Tea Houses
kōshidai 格子台

The oldest method used to insert lattice directly into the members of the window opening. The vertical muntins are inserted…

Architecture, General Terms
koshidakashōji 腰高障子 ✓

Also called koshidaka akarishōji 腰高明障子, or only koshidaka. A translucent paper-covered sliding screen *…

Architecture, General Terms
koshigumi 腰組 ✓

A bracket complex, used under the balcony of high gates, beneath the multiple roofs of pagodas and the main roof of two-…

Architecture, General Terms
koshiguruwa 腰郭

Lit. waist compound. In a mountain castle *yamajiro 山城, a…

Architecture, Castles
koshiire mechigaitsuki aritsugi 腰入目違付蟻継 ✓

A half-lapped, half-blind, tenoned dovetail joint. The indented piece is cut with a bench (hip, koshi 腰), open in…

Architecture, Joints
koshikake aritsugi 腰掛蟻継 ✓

A half-lap, dovetailed joint. Also shikimen aritsugi 敷面蟻継, shikimen arihozotsugi 敷面蟻ほぞ継, koshikake…

Architecture, Joints
koshikake kamatsugi 腰掛鎌継 ✓

Also shikimen kamatsugi 敷面鎌継. A half-lap, gooseneck tenon joint. An end joint which combines two joints: a half-lap…

Architecture, Joints
koshikake machiai 腰掛待合 ✓

A place provided in a tea garden where the mood and expectations of the participants are intensified while they wait until…

Architecture, Tea Houses
koshikake 腰掛

Lit. Lap or bench. A basic part of many joints. Although similar to the *aigaki…

Architecture, Joints
koshikaketsugi 腰掛継

Also *koshi 腰; kasanetsugi 重継. Lit. seat joint. A simple…

Architecture, Joints
kōshimado 格子窓

A latticed window. One type resembles *renjimado 連子窓. The laths are narrower…

Architecture, General Terms
koshimaki doi 腰巻土居

Also termed koshimaki-ishigaki 腰巻石垣, a waist-bandstone wall. A stone wall built around the lower part of an earthen…

Architecture, Castles
koshinageshi 腰長押

A horizontal non-penetrating tie beam *nageshi 長押 positioned below the…

Architecture, General Terms
koshinuki 腰貫

Lit. hip tie beam. Penetrating tie beams placed horizontally slightly below the center of pillars on exterior walls of…

Architecture, General Terms
koshō 胡床

Also shōgi 床几. A folding chair or a stool. These folding chairs were derived from the chairs used by the Huns (Jp:…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
kōshū kurama-ishi 甲州鞍馬石

Also called shinkurama-ishi 新鞍馬石 and kōshūmikage-ishi 甲州御影石. A type of low quality granite quarried in…

Architecture, Gardens
kotenomi 鏝鑿

A trowel chisel. A type of paring chisel *tsukinomi 突鑿, with…

Architecture, Tools
kotenshu 小天守

A small subsidiary tower. When a castle complex has two or more donjons, the largest is called *…

Architecture, Castles
kotojigata tōrō 琴柱形灯籠

A lantern found on the north bank of Kasumigaike 霞が池 in Kenrokuen 兼六園, Ishikawa Prefecture. It is very large, approximately…

Architecture, Lanterns
koya aratameguchi 小屋改口

Also called tenjō aratameguchi 天井改口. Lit. roof structure inspecting entrance. A trapdoor built into a ceiling to…

Architecture, General Terms
koyabari 小屋梁

Also called rokubari 陸梁. The bottom most transverse tie beam *hari 梁 in…

Architecture, General Terms
koyagumi 小屋組 ✓

Roof truss or framework; the frame with diagonal members on either side of a strut *tsuka…

Architecture, General Terms
koyane 小屋根

Lit. a small roof. A small roof built over a shed or subordinate structure attached to a main building. Examples include a…

Architecture, General Terms
Koyomibari-no-seki 暦張の席

Also called Koyomitei 暦亭. The old calendar papers that were pasted to the base of the mud plaster wall of a small…

Architecture, Tea Houses
kōzama 格狭間

Also written 香狭間, and abbreviated to *sama 狭間. Formerly called *…

Art History, Sculpture, General Terms, Architecture
kozashiki 小座敷

Also *koma 小間. Lit. a small room. An old name for a small sized tea ceremony room…

Architecture, Tea Houses
kudabashira 管柱

Also called daikagurabashira 太神楽柱. Pillars used to build two story structures whereby one pillar is erected on the…

Architecture, General Terms
kudarigegyo 降懸魚

Also *ketakakushi 桁隠, ketakakushigegyo 桁隠懸魚, *…

Architecture, Decorations
kudarimune 降棟 ✓

Also called *hira kudarimune 平降棟. A descending ridge *…

Architecture, General Terms
kudo-zukuri 竈造

A roof style found on vernacular houses *minka 民家 in Saga…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings
kugi 釘

A nail made of metal, wood, or bamboo and shaped according to use. Traditionally, metal kugi are square, …

Architecture, General Terms
kugibori 釘彫

A hole cutout piece bored on the back of a large, thick, non-penetrating tie beam *…

Architecture, General Terms
kugikakushi 釘隠 ✓

An ornament used to conceal the head of a large nail on a pressing tie rail *nageshi…

Architecture, Decorations
kuginukimon 釘貫門 ✓

Also kuginuki 釘貫. A roofless gate found at imperial tombs, mansions, and government check points. When the gate has…

Architecture, Gates
kugurido 潜り戸

1 A generic term for a small door, very often a wicket door set into the leaf of another larger door or…

Architecture, Folk Dwellings, Tea Houses
kuguriguchi 潜り口

A generic term for a small low entrance through which one has to stoop or crawl. Often fitted in a large gate, so people may…

Architecture, General Terms, Tea Houses
kugurimon 潜り門

1 A small low gate cut through an earth wall, tsuchibei 土塀, or timber fence *…

Architecture, Gates, Folk Dwellings
kui 杭

Also kigui 木杭. Pile. A wooden stake or post driven into the ground. Closely placed round wooden posts, often shaved…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
kuichigai 喰違

Staggered embankments. A castle-wall design where the left and right embankments *doi…

Architecture, Castles
kujū-no-tō 九重塔

Also pronounced kyūjū-no-tō. A 9-storied pagoda. Kudaradaiji 百済大寺 (6th-7th century) in Nara, and Hōshōji 法勝寺 (Heian…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
kumigaki 組垣

Lit. braided fence. A generic name for fences in which the lattice pieces of the fence are braided. In some cases the bamboo…

Architecture, Gardens
kumiire tenjō 組入天井

Also kumiire 組入 or kumitenjō 組天井.



1 A latticed ceiling. Heavy,…

Architecture, General Terms
kumiizutsu 組井筒

Lit. arranged well crib. A type of well made of four joined stone blocks. It is also called kakikomi ido 掻込井戸 (…

Architecture, Gardens
kumikikkō 組亀甲

A decorative pattern of interlocking hexagonal shapes with small triangles in the interstices. A variation of the tortoise…

Architecture, Decorations
kumiko 組子

1 A muntin, mullion, or munnion. The non-structural timber parts set within the stiles *…

Architecture, General Terms
kumimono-osae 組物押

A beam set parallel to the eave purlin which functions like a fulcrum to support and absorb the weight of a beam called *…

Architecture, General Terms
kumimune 組棟 ✓

A built-up ridge compound or rows of patterned tiles *munakomigawara…

Architecture, General Terms
kumite 組手

A generic term used in Japanese wood architecture to refer to the joining of one member to another by means of various types…

Architecture, Joints
kumo gasshōhire 雲合掌鰭

Lit. cloud principal-rafter fins. A pair of sculpted forms *hire 鰭 in decorative…

Architecture, Decorations
kumo shirin 雲支輪

Also written 雲枝輪. Lit. cloud strut. A type of slanting ceiling strut *shirin 支輪…

Architecture, General Terms
kumohijiki 雲肘木

Kumogata hijiki 雲形肘木. A cloud-patterned bracket arm that is characterized by a somewhat complicated decorative…

Architecture, General Terms
kumoto 雲斗 ✓

Also pronounced kumomasu or unto. Lit. cloud-shaped bearing block. A bearing block carved with a cloud-…

Architecture, General Terms
kumotokyō 雲斗きょう ✓

Also called kumogata tokyō 雲形斗きょう or kumogata kumimono 雲形組物. Lit. cloud pattern bracket complex. A…

Architecture, General Terms
kumotsudan 供物壇

The small dais in front of a Buddhist altar on which offerings of boiled rice are placed.

Architecture, General Terms
Kundaikan sōchōki 君台観左右帳記

A single-volume book detailing Chinese objects, particularly tea-ceremony utensils, given to the shogunal family by Ashikaga…

Architecture, General Terms, Document
kunisakitō 国東塔

A single-storied, circular pagoda with a pyramidal roof. A type of *hōtō…

Architecture, Buildings, Structures
kuniyaki 国焼

Lit. country fired. An expression used by tea masters in the Edo period to refer to ceramic tea caddies *…

Architecture, Tea Houses
kunoji-no-ike 九の字の池

"Pond (shaped like the) character 九," one type of garden pond. It is described in the garden manual Hihon sakuteiden…

Architecture, Gardens
kura-zukuri 蔵造

An alternative term for *dozō-zukuri 土蔵造, the fireproof…

Architecture, Storehouses
kuraidori 位取

The process of laying floor boards so that the edges fit snugly together and the top surface is perfectly smooth. Wherever…

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