JAPANESE

ARCHITECTURAL
CHARACTERISTIC
Japanese architecture has a long history similar to that of other aspects
of Japanese culture, characterized by periods of interaction with foreign
influences interspersed with long periods of isolation during which
unique traits developed.
Asuka and Nara architecture

• The earliest structures still extant in Japan, and the oldest surviving
wooden buildings in the world, are found at Hōryū-ji (Hōryū temple)
to the southwest of Nara. They serve as the core examples of
architecture from the Asuka period.
• Hōryū-ji consists of 41 separate buildings; the most important ones,
the main worship hall, or Kondo (Golden Hall), and Goju-no-to (Five-
story Pagoda), stand in the center of an open area surrounded by a
roofed cloister.
CHARACTERISTICS
• The Chūmon brackets and railings
• Pagoda - The five-story pagoda
JOMON PERIOD
• The Jomon period is the earliest era of
Japanese history and is considered part of
the Neolithic or New Stone Age.
• The main type of construction was the pit
house. It consisted of structures built out of
wood. Timber was used as inner posts to
support the roof, which was made with
several layers of straw or other dry
vegetation.
YAYOI PERIOD
• beginning of the Yayoi period by the start
of the practice of growing rice in a paddy
field, others by the emergence of a new
style of pottery.
• Most Yayoi archaeological sites indicate
that villages had a number of square pit-
dwellings, reminiscent of the Jomon
culture, with thatched roofs reaching to
the ground and hearths in the center of
the earthen floors.
HEIAN PERIOD
• The Heian period was a time of strong social
separations. The nobility enjoyed times of peace
and a quiet life, promoting the development of
different arts.
• The architecture of the Heian period was mainly
related to the construction of the new capital and
the structures for the nobility living in it.
• The residences for the aristocracy were built as
large symmetrical houses with one long wing on
each side, often enclosing a pond or a garden. This
style became known as Shinden-zukuri.
Kamakura and Muromachi
period
• After the Kamakura period, Japanese
political power was controlled by armed 
samurai, such as Seiwa Genji.
• Their simple and sturdy values affected
the architecture style, and many samurai
houses are a mixture of shinden-zukuri
and turrets or trenches.
Azuchi-Momoyama period

• Two new forms of architecture were developed in response to the

militaristic climate of the times: The castle, a defensive structure built
to house a feudal lord and his soldiers in times of trouble; and the
shoin, a reception hall and private study area designed to reflect the
relationships of lord and vassal within a feudal society.
Azuchi-Momoyama period
Himeji Castle (built in its present
form 1609)
Angled chutes or "stone drop windows"
• The Ohiroma of Nijo Castle (seventeenth century)
The architectural style is late Edo period.
The castle consists of two concentric rings (Kuruwa
) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins
of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings
and several gardens.
• SHOIN - the shoin is the zashiki, a tatami-room dedicated to the
reception of guests.
Edo period

• The city of Edo was repeatedly

struck by fires, leading to the
development of a simplified
architecture that allowed for easy
reconstruction. Because fires were
most likely to spread during the dry
winters, lumber was stockpiled in
nearby towns prior to their onset.
Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa
periods

•  By the early twentieth century, European architectural styles were

merged with Japanese styles to produce notable buildings like the
Tokyo Train Station and the National Diet Building that still exist today.
Former Kaichi school
building (1876), an
example
of giyōfū architecture
Modern architecture

• Giyōfū style buildings often contained Dutch, British, French, and/or

Italian architectural elements, combined with a Japanese-style roof.
• "Giyōfū architecture" ( 擬洋風建築  -kenchiku) or "pseudo-Western-
style architecture") outwardly resembled Western-style construction
but relied on traditional Japanese design techniques.
• The need to rebuild Japan after World War II was a powerful stimulus
to Japanese architecture, and within a short time, the cities were
functioning again. Modern technology brought about a noticeable
change in architectural styles, and the new cities built to replace the
old ones looked very different. New steel and concrete structures
contrasted strongly with traditional styles, and there was a great
difference between the appearance of new, modern landmarks and
more traditional residences and small businesses. After World War II,
most buildings were no longer made of wood, which caught fire so
easily during earthquakes and bombing raids, and internal steel
construction was used instead. While important pre-war buildings,
such as the Wako Department Store, Tokyo Station, Akasaka Palace,
and the Bank of Japan had been designed along European classical
lines, post-war buildings adopted an efficient "unadorned box" style.
National Gymnasium in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo Tokyo Midtown Tower in Minato, Tokyo
Tokyo Metropolitan Umeda Sky Building in Osaka
Government Building in
Shinjuku, Tokyo