4c.

JAPANESE
ARCHITECTURE
History of Architecture 03
(Continuation)

Heian Period
Japanese Architecture Continuation

The priest Kukai ( best known by his

posthumous title Kobo Daishi), he introduced
the Vajrayana Buddhism in 806.
Japanese Buddhist architecture also adopted
the stupa in its Chinese form of pagoda.
Temples erected for this new sect were built
in the mountain.

In the Fujiwara period, Pure Land Buddhism,

which offered easy salvation through belief in
AMIDA ( the Buddha of the Western
Paradise).

Ho-o-do (Phoenix hall) is

the exemplar of Fujiwara
Amida halls.

It consists of a main
rectangular structure flanked
by two L-shaped wing
corridors and a tail corridor,
set at the edge of a large
artificial pond. Inside, a
single golden image of
Amida (circa 1053) is installed
on a high platform.

Ho-o-do (Phoenix hall) is

the exemplar of Fujiwara
Amida halls.

It consists of a main
rectangular structure flanked
by two L-shaped wing
corridors and a tail corridor,
set at the edge of a large
artificial pond. Inside, a
single golden image of
Amida (circa 1053) is installed
on a high platform.

Kamakura and
Muromachi Period
Japanese Architecture Continuation

During this period, Japanese architecture made

technological advances that somewhat diverged
from and Chinese counterparts.

(Daibutsu-Style and Zen-Style) In response to native

requirements such as earthquake resistance and
shelter against heavy rainfall and the summer heat
and sun, the master carpenters of this time
responded with a unique type of architecture.

Unfortunately,
the
heavy
reliance on wood as the
primary building material has
meant that fires destroyed
many of the original structures

The
original
Kamakura
structure was rebuilt shortly
after the end of the Kamakura
era exactly in the same
Kamakura style and clearly
illustrates the expertise of the
Kamakura era builders.
Shofuku-ji

Japanese political power

was dominated by the
armed Samurai, such
as Seiwa Genji

Their
simple
and
sturdy ideas affected the
architecture style, and
many samurai houses are
a mixture of shindenzukuri and turrets or
trenches.

Remarkable event in Muromachi period, another major development of the

period was the tea ceremony and the tea house in which it was held.

The purpose of the ceremony is to spend time with friends who enjoy the arts, to
cleanse the mind of the concerns of daily life, and to receive a bowl of tea served
in a gracious and tasteful manner.

Zen was the basic philosophy.

Zen in Japan corresponds more or less to Ch'an in China (see CHINESE
BUDDHISM). Zen means meditation and the central doctrine of Zen is that an
individual experience of enlightenment (satori) equivalent to that of the Buddha
can be transmitted from master to disciple by meditation or by other means
'outside the scriptures'

The rustic style of the rural cottage was adopted for the tea house, emphasizing
such natural materials as bark-covered logs and woven straw. In addition, a
traditional Japanese style culture such as tatami, shji, and fusuma was stylized in
Muromachi period.

In Japanese tradition a tea house can refer to a structure designed for holding
Japanese tea ceremonies.

This structure and specifically the room in it where the tea ceremony takes place is
called chashitsu. The architectural space called chashitsu was created for aesthetic
and intellectual fulfillment.

In Japan a tea house can also refer to a place of entertainment with geisha. These
kinds of tea houses, called ochaya , are typically very exclusive establishments.

The most notable ochaya is the Ichiriki Ochaya.