The ornamentation of a Buddhist hall. A Buddhist statue made in a dignified and beautiful style by adding features such as a…

The garden which faces or surrounds the *shoin 書院. No special features are used in shoin…

1　A large reception room developed in the Momoyama period, used by military leaders, daimyō …

One of Japan's most important residential architectural styles, shoin-zukuri was established in the Momoyama period…

Also called sōji, a term prevalent in the medieval age. A generic term for partitions that can divide the interior…

Also termed kakubori 角堀 (a moat with squared off ridges), or unebori 畝堀 (the general term for a furrowed…

1　An archaic term taken directly from the Chinese for a ceiling board. Usually,…

Also read seijōseki, called nozoki-ishi 覗石 or kiyome-ishi きよめ石. Lit. "pure stone."

…

Lit. "plants." The various plants, trees, bushes, and flowers placed in a garden. The term also is used to refer to gardens…

Lit. "clarification for the artisan-builder." The best known manual of construction and building design. It is based on oral…

Also called shūrō; kanetsukidō 鐘突堂, lit. "bell hitting hall"; and tsuriganedō 釣鐘堂, belfry. A…

Also read shūrōmon. A two-storied temple gate in which a bell is hung, often found in Tendai 天台 sect temples. A…

A hall dedicated to the soul of Shōtoku Taishi (see *Shōtoku Taishi-zō 聖徳太子像) at…

Enlarged drawings that render particular parts of a building in minute detail. This includes complete sectional, partial,…

Lit. "small shaku 尺." An ancient unit of length. Introduced in the Taihōryō 大宝令 codes of 701, it measured 29.6 cm,…

Meaning genuine tree. The term was coined in the middle Edo period to refer to the dominant or master tree in a garden.…

Also called Sōen-in 倉垣院. A treasure storehouse *hōko 宝庫 with a raised floor at…

Originally, a waterfall in nature. With the rise of dry waterfalls *karetaki…

Lit. "master tree." The tree planted on the top, front of a garden hill *tsukiyama…

The upper and lower rim on a broad, concave, eave-end tile *nokihiragawara…

Lit. "guardian tree." One name given to the main tree planted in the middle of a flat garden hiraniwa 平庭. The term…

A measure of height for a Buddhist statue based on shūjaku 周尺, a unit of measure used in Zhou dynasty China (1 …

A type of settlement or township which developed along major trunk roads during the medieval and early modern periods,…

1　Edo period towns used as a stopping place by the Tokugawa 徳川 shoguns when they traveled outside the city…

Lit. "shrunken scenery." The imitation of a famous scenic spot meisho 名所 in a garden through the creation of a…

A vernacular house *minka 民家, in the style known as *…

1　A term for a style of vernacular residence *minka 民家, with…

An altar made of fine timber, generally with panelling, hame 羽目, and rich moldings at its top and bottom.…

Lit. "Mt. Sumeru type stone arrangement." A grouping of stones which expresses Mt. Sumeru *Shumisen…

A raised bead, nipple or seed motif that became a common part of the decoration on the pendant tiles *…

Lit. "main stone." The stone at the center of a stone arrangement *ishigumi…

One story of a building or a counter for the number of roofs on a pagoda *tō 塔. A…

A small, rustic style tea ceremony structure up to 4 1/2 mats *yojōhan 四畳半,…

Also called kiwaki or kowaki 木端. A side or end view of a board or plank which reveals its thickness.

Rafters *taruki 垂木 laid on an eave sobanoki 傍軒, that juts out from a…

Also sōban 双盤. A cushion or footing stone with a concave upper part and a convex lower part placed between the…

A plain, single-petaled, stylized lotus pattern found on the pendant *gatō…

Plain, unembellished flower petals used especially to decorate the pendants *gatō…

Also written 僧坊. Buddhist priests', monks' or nuns' living quarters in the 7th-8th century. One of the seven buildings…

Lit. "sleeve."

1　A generic term meaning any structural element that is on the side of a main…

Lit. "sleeve fence." A narrow fence which may serve to screen off some garden element or may be completely ornamental.…

Lit. "sleeve shape." A type of water basin *chōzubachi 手水鉢 in…

A *dozō 土蔵 type of storehouse flanking the main shop *…

Aside or wing wall.

1　A generic term for a narrow wall projecting from either an inside or outside…

The process by which the diameter of the ends of large rainbow beams *kōryō 虹梁…

Small wing-like balustrades placed at an open angle to the right and left of the bottom of the steps leading to the veranda…

Also sodegawara 袖瓦, *tonemarugawara 利根丸瓦, tonegawara…

A defensive square projection in a castle wall on one side of the castle entrance *…

Lit. "sleeve udatsu." Extensions of the gable parapet walls *udatsu 卯立…

A large hall at a Zen temple. It was divided into two parts. The front part, called the *…

Lit. "accompanying stones." Stones arranged near to the main stone *shuseki 主石 of a stone…

1　A small reinforcement post attached to the side of a larger post or pillar. If a reinforcement post is…

1　A splice, fish plate, splint or brace. Timber strips attached to principal pillars to stabilize or…

A type of six-sided lantern. The canopy is thin with half-circled bracken-shoot patterns *…

Also called yosezuka 寄束 or wakizuka 脇束. Small reinforcing struts attached to one or both sides of a beam…

Also termed sōgawa 総河, sometimes written 総側 or 総川, sōguruwa 総郭, 総曲輪. The enclosure that surrounds a town…

Also written 曾木板 or 枌板; also called hegi-ita へぎ板. A thinly cut wooden shingle, 3 mm thick, and usually 30 cm x…

A basic bevelled scarf. A timber with a slanted cut, usually at an approximately 30 degree angle. To form a joint, a scarf…

Also called suberihatsugi 滑刃継; hauchitsugi 羽打継. A scarf joint. A simple butt joint made stronger by…

Lit. "Sōhen fence." A simple type of open fence named after tea master Yamada Sōhen 山田宗へん (1627-1708). Thin bamboo slats are…

Also written 惣社. Also pronounced sōsha or subeyashiro. A shrine that contains many deities, which may…

A ditch surrounding a property, usually dug between a road and private land.

Lit. "bottom-cleaning chisel." A chisel designed to clean out the wooden shavings which have accumulated in the base of the…

Also called sunakake 砂かけ, sunasukui 砂掬い, and ezue え杖. Also written 束杖. A thin wooden board…

Also called wakiku 脇区. The borders on the ends of the pendants *gatō…

Also read somakaku. Timber that is made square by hewing and shaving with a hatchet *…

The moment when tree felling begins to obtain the wood to be used for a statue.

1　The main entrance gate for many Zen temples. They are large, single-storied, 8-legged or 4-legged gates…

Also written 備. Also called kumimono 組物 or *tokyō 斗きょう. A set of…

An upper floor extending over the entire area of the ground floor of a building.

Also pronounced sorihashi. Lit. "curved bridge." A general term for an arched bridge. Soribashi include…

A plane used for moulding curved, wooden architectural elements such as gable boards or projecting rafters. The sole of the…

Also called terihafu 照破風. A generic term for bargeboards *hafu 破風 with…

Lit. "pagoda finial." The vertical shaft which protrudes from the top of a pagoda. The sōrin, whether made of…

Also called soriwatarō 反渡廊, taikobashienrōka 太鼓橋縁廊下. Roofed, open-sided corridors with a convex…

A roof with a concave curve that extends from the base of the ridge *munagi 棟木…

Lit. "foundation stone." A base stone which receives the dead load of a pillar. The upper side of the base stone was made…

A hall dedicated to the founder of a temple, especially at Zen 禅 temples.

The diaries of Kamiya Sōtan 神谷宗湛 (1551-1635), a wealthy merchant and tea ceremony master in Fukuoka Prefecture. Written…

A tea ceremony legend that probably dates from the first half of the 17th century. An old fox, the story goes, lived in the…

Also called sōtei zashiki 宗貞座敷. A 3-mat tea ceremony room *chashitsu…

A generic name for a pagoda (Sk: stupa) which has several roofs. Invariably they have an odd number of roofs. Most…

Also called Sakuradamon 桜田門. An entrance gate constructed 1664 at Edo-jō 江戸城 in Tokyo that preserves its…

The outer moat of a castle that has two or more moats. Generally, the inner slope, nearer the castle, is steep while the…

Lit. "outer fence." A generic name for any fence that encloses a tea ceremony house and garden *…

Also termed sōtō tenshu 層塔天守. A multi-storied castle tower. A technically advanced tower employing the same careful…

A lantern built for gardens in the form of a multi-storied stone pagoda with a flame holder. A famous example may be found…

The exterior measurements of architectural members. The term applies to any outside measurement whether it is the length,…

Outer tea garden. The section of the double teagarden nijū roji 二重露地 closest to the entrance gate, sotorojimon…

A common type of mud-packed fence with timber posts that are exposed on the exterior side. The posts are set one bay *…

Also written 滑り腮. Also *shikimen 敷面. This term refers to both the upper and lower sides of a…

The name of the groove cut several centimeters from the bottom of one of two posts erected on each side of an opening into…

Also called kōshibuta 格子蓋.

1　A lid or cover made for a cut-out in the floor of a kitchen…

Also called su 簾, *misu 御簾, and osu 小簾. Matchstick blinds.…

Reed ceiling. Also sudarebari tenjō 簾張天井. A ceiling covered in a mesh made from solid stems of bamboo …

Also sudaresama. A transom *ranma 欄間, with openwork…

Lit. "latticed door gate." A type of garden gate which features lattice, or basket-work of split bamboo. Varieties include…

The smaller end of a log. The larger end is called motoguchi 元口.

1　A roof with bargeboards of different sizes. Usually the front bargeboard, which extends from the ridge…

Also written 椙. A white or red Japanese cedar tree, also called cryptomeria. Japanese cedar is an excellent and widely used…