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  • (-) General Terms (55)
  • Architecture (55)
  • Art History (1)
  • Folk Dwellings (1)
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Displaying 1 - 55 of 55
Title Contains Image(s) Description Keywords
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
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
ranzumi 乱積

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

Architecture, General Terms
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
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
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
rodai 露台 ✓

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

Architecture, General Terms
rōka 廊下

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

Architecture, General Terms
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
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
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
ryōbiraki 両開

Also *kannonbiraki tobira 観音開扉, double doors that open in one…

Architecture, General Terms
ryōkusabi 両楔

Wedges used on the right and left sides to strengthen and to secure a penetrating tie beam inserted into a pillar.

Architecture, General Terms
ryōsage 両下

A type of gable roof *kirizuma-zukuri 切妻造. Also called…

Architecture, General Terms
ryūsha 竜車

Lit. "dragon vehicle." The round or oval section of a pagoda finial *sōrin…

Architecture, General Terms
ryūyōdana 柳葉棚 ✓

Lit. "willow leaf shelf."
A single decorative shelf constructed a little below the cabinets, tenbukuro 天袋,…

Architecture, General Terms
uchikaeshi 打返し

Also pronounced uttegaeshi 打って返し, utasegaeshi 打たせ返し. Perfect symmetry on both sides of a center line…

Architecture, General Terms
uchikorobi 内転

Pillars *hashira 柱 with an inward incline. Uchikorobi…

Architecture, General Terms
uchikoshi daruki ✓

Rafters *taruki 垂木 that extend from the flying rafter support *…

Architecture, General Terms
uchinorinuki 内法貫

A penetrating tie beam *nuki 貫 placed directly on top of a door or…

Architecture, General Terms
uchinorizai 内法材

Also called uchinorimono 内法物. The wooden materials used for the framework of a sliding screen *…

Architecture, General Terms
udegi 腕木

1 A relatively short horizontal timber that functions like a brace. It is attached to and extends outward…

Architecture, General Terms
uguisubari 鴬張

Lit. "nightingale floor." Floor boards which rub together when walked on to produce a pleasant and delicate sound. This type…

Architecture, General Terms
ukegi 受木

A generic term for all supporting or receiving structural members. For example, a timber that receives an eave cornice is…

Architecture, General Terms
umegi 埋木

Also read umeki. A wooden dowel or plug used to fill a hole in a piece of timber. If a knot or some other flaw…

Architecture, General Terms
umemodoshi 埋戻

To fill in any remaining open spaces with sand, gravel, soil, or other such substances, after the foundation and all…

Architecture, General Terms
ura-ita 裏板

A generic term for backing boards, which are boards nailed over rafters to form a backing for the roofing. In an open roof…

Architecture, General Terms
uragaeshi-nuri 裏返塗

Also called uragaeshi 裏返 or yobinuri 呼塗. Soft, rough plaster arakabe tsuchi 荒壁土 applied to…

Architecture, General Terms
uragaya 裏茅

Also urappo 裏穂. A thatching material used on vernacular dwellings *minka…

Architecture, General Terms
uragō 裏甲 ✓

Visible eaves filler placed the eave support *kayaoi 茅負, and projected slightly…

Architecture, General Terms
uragome 裏込

Also read uragomi. The process of filling the gaps in the rear of a stone retaining wall or stone fence with rubble…

Architecture, General Terms
urakabe 裏壁

A plaster wall which has mud plaster applied to the front side and then to the rear side before the plaster on the front…

Architecture, General Terms
urauchi marutagaki 裏打丸太垣

Also called marutagaki 丸太垣. A fence constructed with logs positioned at fairly close intervals and three horizontal…

Architecture, General Terms
urazan 裏桟

A crosspiece used to secure the back or upper side of a ceiling board.

Architecture, General Terms
urazumi 裏積

Bricks or stones set at the back of a brick or stone wall to give it extra support. The term is an abbreviation of …

Architecture, General Terms
ushibari 牛梁

1 A particularly large beam that runs in a longitudinal direction, ketayuki hōkō 桁行方向 (see *…

Architecture, General Terms, Folk Dwellings
ushirobutai 後舞台

The rear stage between dressing rooms and the rear door of the main stage in a *kabuki…

Architecture, General Terms
usushikii 薄敷居

Lit. "thin sills." A lintel and sill used under and above transom *ranma 欄間.…

Architecture, General Terms
utsubo-bashira 靫柱

Also written 空柱. Lit. "hollow pillar." A box-like down-spout tatedoi 竪樋 used to carry rainwater from roof gutters…

Architecture, General Terms
uwaba 上端

Also called tenba 天端.

1 The top surface of an object, or the peak of a structural member.…

Architecture, General Terms
uwabari 上張

Also written 上貼, also called visible top layer keshōbari 化粧張, front side hyōmenbari 表面張 or finishing…

Architecture, General Terms
uwanoki 上軒

The upper-most eave of a nokizuke 軒付 or nokiba 軒端 eave end. Each part of the eave has a name. The…

Architecture, General Terms
uwanuri 上塗り

1 Also shiagenuri 仕上げ塗. The final layer applied to a decorative painting sōshoku kōji…

Art History, Architecture, General Terms, Painting
uwanuri tsuchi 上塗土

The top or finishing coat of a mud plaster wall, tsuchimonokabe 土物壁 or ōtsukabe 大津壁.

Architecture, General Terms
uyū 烏有 ✓

Also called tori-no-shita 鳥の舌 (lit. "bird's tongue"). A somewhat triangular piece of wood added to a bracket arm *…

Architecture, General Terms
uzu-ita 渦板

A board with a carved spiral-like uzusen 渦線 linear design. It is found on frog-leg struts *…

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