Architecture Benjamin Nelson

What is it like? Tradisionaly Japanese architecture has manny noticeable and standout traits Over its history much of its architecture is imported from china and other asian countries. Walls are very thin and are not usually designed to carry any weight. These walls are fluid and can be moved to change the dimensions of a room. Inner posts hold up the curved ceilings. Building proportions are important and are designed to preserve some sort of harmony. Roofs shape and design are very standout.

Ancient In the Jomon period people lived in pit houses with grass roofs This was because the behavior was dictated by the weather and housing was not practical to be permanent. After Chinese interaction in the yayoi period raised wooden floor houses started appearing, all featuring a V shaped roof Raised Grain House

Asuka architecture Buddhism played a pretty big role in this period. Kōfuku-ji Asuka architecture Buddhism played a pretty big role in this period. Temples are constructed and are the oldest still standing structures. Some are even the oldest wooden structures in the world. Storehouses are built and are made of timber they do as they are described store things. Shōsōin

Shinto gets good (not saying it was bad though) The Buddhist ideas set the groundwork, They are responsible for shinto shrines becoming permanent. Before this shinto shrines were temporary structures put up to serve one purpose. Another influence is the stone lanterns (verandas). The shrine itself can really look like anything it's not uniform to the point where the (Honden) witch houses the Kami can be missing. Buddhist temples could even be built inside or next to them. Until the forced separation of buddhism and shinto.

More about shinto shrines Torri are gates that are put at entrances to sacred places The shrines can be made in many different styles some examples being. Hirairi- The entrance runs parallel with the roofs ridge Tsumairi- The entrance runs perpendicular Not a shrine

Heian period THey stopped using stone and clay it was too heavy. Wood was the way to go from now on. It was at this time the hidden roof was made, it was a way to drain rain water. In the capitol building got bigger so Ken was used to space out columns. Also the first Vernacular houses started to appear.

edo A Fabric shop in Nara At this time machiya became better and were on deep narrow slots of land. They could be used for anything shops, housing, ect. Plaster was in great use especially on roofs to stop fires. A fire did happen The great fire of Meireki to be exact and was a huge turning point in design. Store houses were put along the edge to help against fires.

Meiji, Taisho and Showa Western influence happens the best example is the Rokumeikan, made for foreign guests of the at the time foreign minister. It was a huge two story building and was controversial because of its westernisation. One of its contemporaries was the Giyofu. Constructed with a similar method to storehouses. A later the government contracted American architects like Frank Lloyd Wright who designed the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. He also had many Japanese students

Heisei The western influence was in full force in the post bubble economy world. Also more modern Architects make it onto the scene like Sou Fujimoto whose style involves using building blocks to create delicute enclosures and even some houses. Artistic architecture becomes popular.

Summary overall Overall the architecture is designed with a sort of grace and order as a prime objective and I am really interested in what the more artistically minded modern architects will design as time goes on.

Work cited https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2111.html https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2017/12/12/6- elements-japanese-traditional- architecture/1513026009 https://www.britannica.com/art/Japanese- architecture https://study.com/academy/lesson/traditional- japanese-architecture-history-design.html https://www.dezeen.com/tag/sou-fujimoto/ https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html