| Title | Contains Image(s) | Description | Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|
| sabi さび | Also written 寂. |
Art History, Architecture, General Terms | |
| sabikabe 錆壁 | The finishing coat on a wall that consists of iron rust mixed with clay or plaster. Originally, old nails were boiled, and… | Architecture, General Terms | |
| sadōguchi 茶道口 | ✓ | Also written 茶堂口, 茶頭口; also chatateguchi 茶立口, or *katteguchi 勝手口.… |
Architecture, Tea Houses |
| sagefuri 下振 | Also called shōjiki 正直. A plumb line with a plumb bob, furiko 振子, at the lower end. The plumb bob is a… |
Architecture, Tools | |
| sagekiri 下げ切 | A little used placement of the firebox *ro 炉, in a tea ceremony room *… |
Architecture, Tea Houses | |
| sagiashi 鷺足 | Also sagi-no-ashi. Lit. "heron's leg." A type of long, curved leg found on a Chinese style desk, tōzukue… |
Architecture, Decorations | |
| saiben rengemon 細弁蓮華文 | Lit. "narrow petal lotus motif." A motif with as many as twelve or sixteen narrow petals found on some circular pendant… |
Architecture, Roofing Tiles | |
| Saiendō 西円堂 | ✓ | An octagonal hall at Hōryūji 法隆寺, Nara, which was destroyed by a typhoon in 1050. The structure was rebuilt in 1250. It is… |
Architecture, Buildings, Structures |
| saijō 斎場 | 1 An area temporarily purified to erect temporary buildings and facilities for performing the *… |
Architecture, Shrines | |
| saikan 斎館 | Also *kandachi 神館, shinkan 神館. |
Architecture, Shrines | |
| saikondō 西金堂 | An image hall *kondō 金堂 situated to the west of a pagoda in temple grounds.… |
Architecture, Buildings, Structures | |
| Saimon 西門 | An eight-legged *hakkyakumon 八脚門, 3-bay wide, 1-entrance gate with a gable… |
Architecture, Gates | |
| Saimyōji shiorido 西明寺枝折戸 | Lit. "Saimyōji 西明寺-style latticed bamboo door." One type of raised lattice door *… |
Architecture, Tea Houses | |
| sakadono 酒殿 | ✓ | Also misakedono 御酒殿; the prefix mi 御 is an honorific. |
Architecture, Shrines |
| sakakibashira 逆木柱 | ✓ | Also sakabashira 逆柱 or sakasabashira 逆さ柱. Lit. "upside down pillar." |
Architecture, Decorations |
| sakazukimendo 杯面戸 | ✓ | Also written 盃面戸. Sometimes called goki 呉器 or gokibame 呉器羽目. The space created between small bearing… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| saku-itabei 柵板塀 | A fence supported by posts along its rear side, usually with more than four posts per one bay. The facing boards are placed… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| saku 柵 | 1 Fence. Read ki (also written 城) in the ancient period. A palisade of stakes aligned at regular… |
Architecture, Castles | |
| Sakuheimon 朔平門 | ✓ | The Sakuheimon is the center gate on the north side of Kyoto Gosho 京都御所, during the end of the Heian period. It can be seen… |
Architecture, Gates |
| Sakuteiki 作庭記 | Lit. "Treatise on Garden Making." The oldest and most revered Japanese text on garden design, it was probably… |
Architecture, Gardens, Document | |
| sama 狭間 | ✓ | Also read hasama. A loophole or porthole made in the wall of the keep, tower, or parapet to allow a castle to… |
Architecture, Castles |
| samakubari 狭間配 | Lit. "loophole distribution." The number of loopholes per two meter (one ken 間) interval in a castle. Also refers… |
Architecture, Castles | |
| samidare 五月雨 | Lit. "fifth month rain." A geometric pattern used for fretwork muntins. The design is inspired by early summer rain, … |
Architecture, Decorations | |
| samisentsugi 三味線継 | ✓ | A wooden splicing joint used for a beam. The length of the joint is 3x the height of the beam and the tenon *… | Architecture, Joints |
| samon 砂紋 | Also read shamon. Lit. "sand crest." The technique of making a pattern or design in sand or gravel. The creation of… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| san-no-tsuji 桟の辻 | The junction points on a door or window frame where the top rail *kamigamachi… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| san'yō 三葉 | Lit. "three leaves." A decorative pattern carved into the shape of three leaves; used particularly for metal fittings found… |
Architecture, Decorations | |
| sanbari 桟梁 | ✓ | The transverse beams placed in a row at right angle to the large header beams *kabuki… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sandandaki 三段滝 | Lit. "three-stage waterfall." One common type of garden waterfall. Through the arrangement of earth and rocks, the waterfall… |
Architecture, Gardens | |
| sando 桟戸 | ✓ | A simple door made of vertical planks with horizontal cross members that are about as wide as the vertical ties placed… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sane 実 | 1 A structural element or tenon that projects out from the end of a board, post, or beam. Such projecting… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sanehijiki 実肘木 | ✓ | A purlin-bearing bracket arm; one that is inserted into the small bearing blocks *makito… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sangarado 桟唐戸 | ✓ | Also read sankarado. Paneled entrance doors introduced from China in the 13th to 14th century. They are associated… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sangawara 桟瓦 | ✓ | A pantile that combines a broad concave tile *hiragawara 平瓦 and a semi-cylindrical… | Architecture, Roofing Tiles |
| sangawarabuki 桟瓦葺 | ✓ | Also called jigawara 地瓦 because it is a base tile; and kanryakugawara 簡略瓦 because it combines a broad… |
Architecture, Roofing Tiles |
| sangedatsumon 三解脱門 | Also *sanmon 三門. The most famous example is the very large 21.05 m x 9.72 m gate at Zōjōji 増上寺… |
Architecture, Gates | |
| sangen-ikko 三間一戸 | ✓ | A 3 x 2 bay gate, often 8-legged style *hakkyakumon 八脚門, with entrance… |
Architecture, Buildings, Structures |
| sangendō 三間堂 | ✓ | A building with 3 bays on all four sides, commonly written 3 × 3 bays. The result is usually a square building. However,… |
Architecture, Buildings, Structures |
| sanja-zukuri 三社造 | Also called sangenyashiro or sangensha 三間社. A type of Shinto shrine. The main building *… |
Architecture, Shrines | |
| sanjū-no-tō 三重塔 | Three-storied pagodas, most of which are made of wood, but a small percentage are made of stone. See *… |
Architecture, Buildings, Sculpture | |
| sanjū orekugi 三重折釘 | ✓ | A nail that is bent in three tines at a ninety degree angle. Like the twice bent nail *… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sanjūbari 三重梁 | ✓ | Roof framework composed of struts separating three tiers of transverse beams, each proportionately shortened in length than… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sanjūdana 三重棚 | ✓ | 1 Triple shelves. Shelves which now are rarely seen in a tea ceremony room except at Nishihonganji… |
Architecture, Tea Houses |
| sankaku tōrō 三角灯篭 | A variation on the *yukimi dōrō 雪見灯籠. This type of lantern is found in the… |
Architecture, Lanterns | |
| sankō tōrō 三光灯籠 | An unusual lantern style found along the pond at Katsura Rikyū 桂離宮, Kyoto. It is a small, rectangular box-shaped lantern… |
Architecture, Lanterns | |
| sankoshomon 三鈷杵文 | Lit. "three-prong pounder motif." Also called *kongōsho 金剛杵 (vajra pounder,… |
Architecture, Roofing Tiles | |
| sankyōmon 三きょう門 | Also called sanren āchimon 三連アーチ門. A gate with three arches, made within a stone wall. |
Architecture, Gates | |
| sanmaidō 三昧堂 | Also called nenbutsu sanmaidō 念仏三昧堂. Nenbutsu 念仏 prayers are recited, to obtain unity with *… |
Architecture, Buildings, Structures | |
| sanmen sōbō 三面僧房 | Priest and monk dormitories constructed to the north, east and west of the lecture hall *… |
Architecture, Buildings, Structures | |
| sanmen zushi 三面厨子 | A miniature shrine characterized by three doors, one placed at the front and one on each side of the structure. It contains… |
Architecture, Accessories | |
| sanmon 三門 | ✓ | Also written 山門; often called *sangedatsumon 三解脱門 meaning enlightenment gate. Main gate… |
Architecture, Gates |
| sannō torii 山王鳥居 | ✓ | Also called hie torii 日吉鳥居, sōgō torii 総合鳥居, hafu torii 破風鳥居 or gasshō torii 合掌鳥居.… |
Architecture, Shrines |
| sannojikuzushi 三の字崩 | ✓ | A type of decorative pattern used for muntins on transoms *ranma 欄間. The design… |
Architecture, Decorations |
| sanrō 山廊 | ✓ | Also kirō 機廊. Small, single-storied, detached buildings on temple grounds constructed on each side of a two-… |
Architecture, Buildings, Structures |
| sanrōsho 山籠所 | Lit. "a place to go into seclusion." A shrine or temple where priests or laymen can retire alone to pray. However, special… |
Architecture, Shrines | |
| sansaiyū gawara 三彩釉瓦 | Roof tiles glazed with more than two colors included various tones of brown, yellow and green which were the most commonly… |
Architecture, Roofing Tiles | |
| sanshigo 三四五 | ✓ | Lit. "three, four, five." A large size right-angled carpenter's square, ōgane 大矩, with a ratio of 3:4:5 cm. The two… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sanzon iwagumi 三尊石組 | Lit. "Buddhist triad stone arrangement." The grouping of one large stone with two smaller flanking stones that lean toward… |
Architecture, Gardens | |
| sao 竿 | Lit. "a pole or rod." Aiso written 棹. 1 A lapped rod joint. The stacked tenon *… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| saobiki dokko 竿引独鈷 | ✓ | A long, lapped, rod-type tenon cut in the end of a rainbow beam *kōryō 虹梁, or… |
Architecture, Joints |
| saobuchi 竿縁 | A batten used to make a board and batten ceiling *saobuchi tenjō 竿縁天井.… |
Architecture, Joints | |
| saobuchi tenjō 竿縁天井 | ✓ | Also written 棹縁天井. A board and batten ceiling. A simple ceiling made of light weight boards laid in one direction over… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| saoshachitsugi 竿車知継 | ✓ | Also saotsugi 竿継. Joint with long, rather slender tenons called saohozo 竿ほぞ (rod or pole tenons) and… |
Architecture, Joints |
| sarato 皿斗 | ✓ | Lit. "plate-like bearing block." A relatively flat, wooden block set beneath the large bearing block *… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| saru 猿 | ✓ | 1 Monkey. The monkey is represented in kyōgen 狂言 by a masked and costumed figure. The monkey mask… |
Sculpture, Art History, Architecture, General Terms |
| sarubashigo 猿梯子 | Also called sanbashigo 桟梯子. A ladder made of wood or bamboo placed in an almost vertical position to reach the… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sarubō hisashi 猿頬廂 | ✓ | Lit. "monkey head pent roof." A pent roof *hisashi 廂, with pentagonal members… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sarubō tenjō 猿頬天井 | ✓ | A ceiling characterized by battens with six sides that are not all the same size. It is similar to a *… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sarudo 猿戸 | ✓ | Lit. "monkey door." A type of bolted gate, called a wicket or a *kido 木戸, used at… |
Architecture, Tea Houses |
| sarugashira kōran 猿頭高欄 | ✓ | 1 The pyramidal shaped top of a post on the handrail of a wooden bridge. If there is only a heavy base… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sarugashira 猿頭 | ✓ | Lit. "monkey headpost." A general term for timber members of pentagonal cross-section, created by chamfering away the upper… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sarumimi 猿耳 | ✓ | Lit. "monkey's ears." A pair of cleats that did not really resemble monkey's ears but rather the horns of a bull. The cleats… |
Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings |
| sasagaki 笹垣 | Lit. "bamboo grass fence." A living fence or hedge made of low-growing, bamboo grass called kumazasa 熊笹, and… |
Architecture, Gardens | |
| sasaguri 笹繰 | Concave curves carved out of the upper surface of the bracket arms *hijiki… |
Architecture, Decorations | |
| sasakanamono 笹金物 | ✓ | Lit. "bamboo-grass metal fitting." A long, narrow, metal fitting *kanagu 金具,… |
Architecture, Decorations |
| sasarageta 簓桁 | ✓ | A string, or stringer. The boards set diagonally on each side of a staircase in order to receive the treads fumi-ita… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sasarako jitami 簓子下見 | ✓ | Also called sasarako bame 簓子羽目. A traditional type of weather board used to cover exterior walls. The overlapping… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sasatōba 笹塔婆 | A very small common type of memorial stupa that is made of bamboo-grass sasa 笹 and used in many parts of Japan.… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sashi-ishi 差石 | Small, oblong (6-10 cm) or rectangular stones placed in the space below the bamboo wall base kabedomari 壁留り of the… |
Architecture, Tea Houses | |
| sashidoko 指床 | ✓ | Lit. "pointing to the alcove." Ceiling battens *saobuchi 竿縁 or thick straw… |
Architecture, Aristocratic Dwellings |
| sashigeta 指桁 | Also called sashibari 指梁. The short visible purlins that jut beyond the barge course *… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sashihijiki 挿肘木 | ✓ | Also written 差肘木 or 指肘木. One or more bracket arms *hijiki 肘木, inserted into the… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sashikake 差掛 | ✓ | Also called sashikake yane 差掛屋根 or sashidashi 差出. A pent roof, shed roof or lean-to roof covering an… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sashiki 指木 | Also written 差木 or 挿木. A generic term for the joining of timbers at right angle by inserting one into the other, most often… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sashikomihozo 差込ほぞ | A generic term meaning to insert, usually a tenon *hozo ほぞ into a mortise *… |
Architecture, Joints | |
| sashimoya 指母屋 | Short purlins *keta 桁, about the length of one bay, inserted into the bargeboards… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sashimoyageta 指母屋桁 | A short purlin *keta 桁, that extends from the second strut within a hidden roof… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sashimune 挿棟 | Lit. "insert ridge." Also written 指棟. Short, exposed ridges *keshō munagi… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sasu 扠首 | ✓ | 1 Equivalent to *inokosasu 豕扠首 in shrine and temple… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sasubari 叉首梁 | ✓ | Also sashibari 指梁. The transverse beam which supports the triangular framework *… |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sasudai 叉首台 | The horizontal base on which the diagonal braces *sasuzao 扠首竿 are placed in the gable of a… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sasugumi 扠首組 | 1 Diagonal braces *sasuzao 扠首竿, set on transverse beams *… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sasuri 摩 | Flush or even surfaces. Surfaces that are on the same plane. For example, a threshold *shikii… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sasuzao 扠首竿 | Also 扠首棹. The diagonal braces used to form the triangular frame in many gable pediments *… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| sasuzuka 扠首束 | Also keshōzuka 化粧束. 1 A short strut centered between the diagonal braces *… |
Architecture, General Terms | |
| satojiro 里城 | A village castle. A medieval castle built in a low-lying village. Typically furnished with defensive installations. |
Architecture, Castles | |
| sawatobi 沢飛 | ✓ | Lit. "marsh crossing." A path made of stepping stones *tobi-ishi 飛石 placed in… |
Architecture, Gardens |
| saya-no-ma 鞘の間 | ✓ | Also called ōiya 覆屋 or *kusari-no-ma 鎖の間. |
Architecture, General Terms |
| sayadō 鞘堂 | Also ōidō 覆堂, ōiya 覆屋 or tōdō 套堂. Lit. "sheath hall." A building constructed over a shrine or… |
Architecture, Buildings, Structures | |
| sayagata 紗綾形 | ✓ | A design pattern of interlocking swastikas, manji 万字 (卍). Most sources agree that the term (a contraction of sa… |
Architecture, Decorations |
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