Medieval Japanese Architecture

Japanese ancient architecture refers to the buildings in Japan before the Meiji Restoration. Most areas in Japan have a mild climate, abundant rainfall, and are rich in wood. Wooden frame thatched roofs are a traditional form of Japanese architecture. The house adopts an open layout with elevated floors and far-reaching eaves. The living room is small and exquisite, and the columns, beams, siding, etc. are not painted. A cushion is laid on the indoor wooden floor, usually made of straw mats, called "tatami" (Chinese transliteration "tatami"), on which people sit, sleep, and live. According to ancient Japanese custom, only one generation lives in one house, and the next generation builds a new house to live in. Before Empress Chitong (reigned from 690 to 697), the royal family also built a new palace for every dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Kinmei (539-571), with the influence of Chinese culture and the introduction of Buddhism, Japanese architecture began to adopt tile roofs, stone bases, contrasting colors of red and white, and raised frames. and wing angle roofs. Magnificent and solemn Buddhist temples, pagodas and palaces appeared, and the architectural styles of residences and shrines also changed. The influence of foreign culture on Japanese architecture can be roughly divided into two stages: the first stage is the absorption of Chinese culture from the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and gradually became Japanese by the end of the 9th century; the second stage is the influence of the Chinese Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties cultures, and by Japanization was completed after the 16th century.

Shrine is a Japanese building dedicated to nature gods, clan ancestors and heroes. The shrine has always implemented the "replacement" system, that is, it is rebuilt every certain period (such as 20 years, 60 years). Therefore, although some of the existing shrine houses still retain the legacy of early residences, they were all rebuilt by later generations. The plane and appearance of the early shrines were relatively simple, with wooden walls, an elevated lower part, and a double-sloping wooden frame thatched roof. The roof had no folds and no colors or carvings. There are two basic styles: one is called "big shrine building", represented by Izumo Grand Shrine in Shimane Prefecture; the existing shrine house was built in 1744, with a square plane, a suspended gable roof, a door on the mountain side, and a beam in the interior. center column. The other type is called "Kami-zo", represented by Ise Jingu Shrine; it is characterized by a three-bay social house with an open door on the front and a cantilevered roof.

After the Heian period, the architectural styles of shrines increased, including the "Kasuga-zukuri" with a single-room square plan and a draped eaves on the top of the mountain on both sides; the "Kami-zukuri" front eaves were draped out to form a front porch. "Liu-zukuri"; a hall built in front of the main hall with the roofs of the two connected to form a "Yabata-zukuri"; "Hiyoshi-zukuri" with eaves on the left, right and front sides of the three-bay social house, etc. Since then, the style and number of shrines have continued to increase. By the Taisho period (1912-1926), there were approximately 120,000 large and small shrines across Japan.

Buddhist temple is one of the main types of ancient Japanese architecture. In 624, there were 46 Buddhist temples in Japan. Buddhism flourished during the Nara period (710-784), and the number of Buddhist temples increased to hundreds across the country. The famous one is the west courtyard of Horyuji Temple (607) rebuilt in the early Nara period. Its main buildings, the tower, Buddhist hall, central gate, and cloister, are the oldest existing buildings in Japan. The architectural style still maintains the characteristics of the Asuka period. After Nara moved its capital to Heijo-kyo in the middle period, it vigorously absorbed the Chinese culture of the Tang Dynasty, established Kokubun-ji in various vassal states, and built the main Kokubun-ji Temple - Todai-ji in Heijo-kyo. The main hall of Todaiji Temple is 11 rooms wide and about 40 meters high. The Buddha statue in the hall is about 20 meters high. It was the most magnificent building in Japan at that time. There are two east and west pagodas in front of the main hall and a lecture hall in the back. Today, only the bronze Buddha in the temple is an old thing from that time. The representative building of the late Nara period, the Golden Hall of Tangshodaiji Temple (759), was built by the Chinese monk Jianzhen and his disciples after he traveled east. It reflects the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty in China. During the Heian period (794-1192), aristocrats yearned for the Pure Land of Paradise in the West, which led to the development of the gorgeous Amida Hall. Prominent examples include the Byodo-in Phoenix Hall in Uji (1053) and the Amida Hall of Joruriji Temple in Kyoto. Among them, Phoenix Hall brings together fine works in painting, sculpture, craftsmanship, and architecture. During the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the emerging samurai forces replaced the aristocratic group in power. The Zen Buddhism introduced in the Song Dynasty of China gained the appreciation and belief of the samurai, and Zen temples emerged from this. Examples include the relic hall of Enkakuji Temple in Kamakura.

Such temples often imitate the architecture of the Song Dynasty in China and are called "Tang style"; those that follow the old style of the Heian period are called "Japanese style"; other Buddhist temples that are influenced by the architectural styles along the southeastern coast of China are called "Big Buddha style" ” or “Tianzhu-like”, typical examples include the south gate of Todaiji Temple in Nara and the Jodo Hall of Jodoji Temple in Hyogo Prefecture. During the Muromachi Shogunate era (1338-1573), Zen Buddhism continued to develop. Five mountain temples were established in Kyoto and Kamakura, imitating the five mountains and ten temples system of Chinese Zen Buddhism in the Southern Song Dynasty.

Residences Most of the early Japanese residences used wooden roofs with thatched roofs, and the lower parts were elevated like dry-type buildings. After the introduction of Buddhism, the residences also changed significantly. During the reign of Emperor Shomu (724-748), the imperial court encouraged his ministers to build mansions that were "painted in red and white" (the pillars and beams were painted with vermilion and the walls were whitewashed). The only remaining example of a residence from the Nara period is a five-bay wooden building that has been converted into the Horyuji East Campus Denhodo Hall. It was originally the residence of Mrs. Tachibana, the mother of Emperor Shomu and Empress. The noble residences of the Heian period adopted the "Bedroom-style" style, with the master's bedroom in the middle, and the "opposite rooms" for his family members on the left, right and back sides. The bedrooms and the opposite rooms are connected by corridors. There is a garden to the south of the bedroom, and there is a garden beside the pool. Pavilions and pavilions are connected to opposite rooms by corridors and are used for viewing and recreation. For the sake of defense, the samurai residences of the Kamakura period had complex plan forms and internal partitions, and the layout and appearance varied. The monks set up a small room next to their living room as a study room because of the need to study scriptures. This was the germination of the "study-style" residence. During the Muromachi (1338-1573) and Momoyama (1573-1600) periods, Shoin-style residences flourished. This kind of house has an open and simple floor plan and flexible partitions. It has an "academy" (a small space for reading) and a "bed room" (a place for hanging calligraphy and paintings, flower arrangements, incense and other offerings, shaped like an alcove). , "illegal sheds" (shelves for placing stationery and books) and other furnishings and interior treatments are full of unique features. Due to the prosperity of commerce, "castle towns" (market towns) centered on castles, where lords were located in various places, emerged, and secular buildings such as market houses and merchants developed. The popularity of tea ceremony among samurai and literati also promoted the development of teahouse architecture. , the most distinctive is the hermitage-style teahouse with a farmhouse flavor. This style of building is called "Sukiya" (meaning elegant house). From the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century, princes from all over the country started to build castle watchtowers - the "Tenshou Pavilion". This is a high-story wooden structure that not only has a practical purpose of defense, but also serves as a means of political showing off and intimidation. . Famous ones include Inuyama, Himeji, Matsumoto, Kumamoto, Nagoya and other castle towers. In the early Edo period (1615), a ban was issued to restrict the construction of forts, but this trend gradually disappeared.