Traditional houses of Japanese culture

Introduction to the Evolution of Japanese Architecture

The development of ancient Japanese architecture, counting from the Hatori period, when Buddhist architecture was introduced to Japan, has lasted for more than 1,000 years, and the development and evolution during this period have been full of vitality and characteristics, which have been divided into three phases:

Ancient times: The Hatori period, the Nara period, and the Heian period (553~1,183 years) (including the Jomon period, the Yayoi period, and the Kofun period before the Hatori period). Jomon period, Yayoi period and Kofun period before the Asuka period).

Medieval: Includes the Kamakura Period and the Muromachi Period (1184~1572).

The Modern Period is the Momoyama Period and the Edo Period (1573~1867).

If you look at the types of objects studied, there are temples, shrines, residences, cities, castle towns, and tea houses, etc.

The Hatori period (553-44) was the beginning of the real systematic development of Japanese architecture, and although the buildings of this period do not exist today, the so-called Hatori style of architecture has survived, i.e., Horyuji Temple, the world's oldest surviving wooden structure.

Another important aspect of research on the architecture of the Hatori period is that there has been a great deal of excavation of temple ruins after the war, and a number of valuable and reliable materials have been obtained through archaeological research at the excavated ruins.

The Heian period is one of the most distinctive periods in the history of Japanese architecture, and in the four centuries from the late 8th century to the 12th century, the development of Japanese architecture underwent an important period of evolution. In short, the evolution of the Tang style to the Wabi-sabi style, or the Japanization of Tang architecture. In terms of content, Buddhist architecture remained dominant. Influenced by the Tang culture, Tantric Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism were prevalent. Therefore, the study of the history of architecture in Japan in the Heian period, basically to the study of Tantric and Pure Land Buddhism architecture as the center.

The Tantai and Shingon sects of Japan, the two sects' main temples, Bireizan Enryakuji Temple and Konohama Kongobuji Temple, are naturally the focus of research on the architecture of Tantai temples. In addition, Toji Temple, Daigoji Temple, Murokuji Temple, and Dangmaji Temple are also important bases for Tantric Buddhism.

The Nara period (645~80) is the golden age of classical architecture in Japan, and Buddhist temple architecture was especially prosperous during this period, laying the foundation of Japan's so-called Japanese architectural system, and a considerable number of wooden buildings of the temples of this period have survived to this day. Famous representatives of this period are Todaiji Temple, Saidaiji Temple, Yakushiji Temple, Genkeiji Temple, Kofuku-ji Temple, Daianji Temple, and Tang Shodaiji Temple.

Japanese culture is y influenced by Chinese culture, and the form of architecture is no exception, especially in the medieval Japanese architecture. It can be divided into three major styles, namely, Japanese architecture, Tang architecture, and Tennessee-style architecture. The so-called Tang-style architecture is the architectural style that originated from the Song and Yuan dynasties in China. In the Song and Yuan cultures, Zen Buddhism had the greatest influence on Japan's Middle Ages culture, so Tang-style architecture is also known as Zen-style architecture. At this time, the introduction of Chinese culture not only enriched the Japanese religious culture, but also made Japan's architectural culture into a new era. It also made Japan's various artistic expressions, whether it is architecture, gardens, traditional tea ceremony, and even the performance of Noh theater are filled with a high degree of Zen, creating a silent and full of meditation space, so that the human heart is more clear, simple.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony was developed on the basis of the "daily tea and rice ceremony", which links daily life with religion, philosophy, ethics and aesthetics, and becomes a comprehensive cultural and artistic activity. It is not only about material enjoyment, but also about cultivating one's temperament and cultivating one's sense of aesthetics and moral values through tea ceremonies and learning tea rituals.

Traditional Japanese architects emphasize the overall ecological design, they use their keen senses to explore the deeper nature of space, and then converted into architectural space elements, with collapsed rice, bamboo, stone, paper, wood, and other simple elements, shaping the unique Japanese aesthetic of "space, space, silence".

Specifications

The formal entrance/exit of a building is called the "entrance". When visiting a traditional house, the guest stops in front of the "genkan," which has a slightly solemn feel, and tells his or her purpose, then pulls open the sliding door and enters a flat area known as the "sanwatsuchi. The family greets the guest in the small room facing the flat ground. After exchanging pleasantries, the guest removes his shoes and walks up one step to the floor (called "shidai" in Japanese) and is led into the room inside.

The "genkan" is the space that separates the inside from the outside, and it is also an essential space for Japanese people who are accustomed to taking off their shoes when they enter a house. Nowadays, even condominiums and other apartment complexes have a "entrance hall," albeit a simplified one.

The term "genkan" was originally a Buddhist term referring to the entrance to a Zen temple, but it is said to have had a strict connotation of an introduction to the Zen path, and practicing monks paid great attention to the "genkan" as the first step in their monastic life. Around the 17th century, samurai began to build a space with a "stylized stage" at the entrance of their residences and called it "genkan". Later, some wealthy merchants also began to build "genkan" in their residences, and gradually, "genkan" spread to the general public.

In modern times, the "entrance" is considered to be the most elegant "sacred place" in the home. As the boundary between "inside" and "outside" of the home, the "entrance" can be said to be the "face" of every home, and therefore, people often decorate the "entrance" with flowers or other ornaments. Since it is an important space, there are more rules.

For example, when visiting someone's home, one must take off one's coat and hat outside the house and dress up before entering the entrance; when returning from a funeral, one must sprinkle some salt on one's body for cleansing oneself and brush off the dirt before entering the entrance; and when taking off one's shoes, one must align the tips of the shoes with each other and face the doorway, and at the same time, one must place the shoes a little closer to the edge than in the center.

The "entrance hall" of an 80-year-old house. In recent years, this old-style "entrance" has become almost invisible.

Visitors in the "Sanwa-do"

(1) Waiting for the host. When the owner comes to the inside of the "genkan", it is called "yorikomi".

(2) Take off your shoes and go up to the "style table".

(3) Entering the "Yomotsu". Some people also place a screen at the "Shippo" area.

(4) The room where visitors are greeted at the "Shoe Removal Stone".