Japanese architecture (日本建築, Nihon kenchiku^?) has as long a history as any other aspect of Japanese culture. Originally heavily influenced by Chinese architecture, it also develops many differences and aspects which are indigenous to Japan. The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the years, from the countrys original Jomon culture to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. ... The Liuhe Pagoda of Hangzhou, China, built in 1165 AD. Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture that has taken shape in Asia over the centuries. ...

Hondo at Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto
Built in 1633

Image File history File linksMetadata Kiyomizudera_sakra01. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Kiyomizudera_sakra01. ... Kiyomizu-dera Kiyomizu-dera (or Kiyomizudera, 清水寺) refers to several Buddhist temples but most commonly to Otowasan Kiyomizudera (音羽山清水寺) in Eastern Kyoto, and one of the best known sights of the city. ...

Prehistoric period

Reconstructed pit dwelling houses in Toro, Shizuoka
2nd or 3th Century

There are no surviving architectures built in prehistoric times, and the oldest Japanese texts, such as Kojiki and Nihonshoki hardly mentioned the architectures at all. Excavations and researches show these houses had thatched roofs and dirt floors. Houses in areas of high temperature and humidity had wooden floors. With the spread of rice cultivation from China, communities became increasingly larger and more complex, and large scale buildings for the local ruling family or rice storage houses are seen in Sannai-maruyama site (before 2nd century BC) in Aomori or Yoshinogari site in Saga (before 3rd century BC). Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 318 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) M.T. Bale I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 318 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) M.T. Bale I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of... Shizuoka (静岡市; -shi) is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. ... Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記), also known in English as the Records of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving historical book recounting events of ancient earth in the Japanese language. ... Nihonshoki (Japanese: 日本書紀), sometimes translated as Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. ... Aomori Waterfront Aomori (青森市; Aomori-shi) is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture (青森県; Aomori-ken), the north end of HonshÅ«. The city faces Mutsu Bay connecting Tsugaru Channel and the Hakkoda Mountains lie in the southern part of Aomori. ... Yoshinogari (吉野ヶ里 遺跡 Yoshinogari iseki) is the name of a large and complex Yayoi archaeological site in Yoshinogari and Kanzaki in Saga Prefecture, KyÅ«shÅ«, Japan. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

After the 3rd century, a centralized administrative system was developed and many keyhole-shaped Kofun were built in Osaka and Nara for the aristocracy. Among many examples in Nara and Osaka, the most notable is Daisen-kofun, designated as the tomb of Emperor Nintoku. This kofun is approximately 486 by 305 m, rising to a height of 35 m. Daisenryo Kofun, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, Sakai, 5th century. ... Daisen-Kofun, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, Osaka Emperor Nintoku (仁徳天皇 Nintoku Tennō) was the 16th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ...

Asuka and Nara architecture

Kondo and pagoda at Hōryū-ji, Nara
Built in 7th century

Shōsōin at Todaiji, Nara
Built in 8th century

The earliest Buddhist structures still extant in Japan, and the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world are found at the Hōryū-ji to the southwest of Nara. They serve as the core examples of architecture in Asuka period. First built in the early 7th century as the private temple of Crown Prince Shotoku consists of 41 independent 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. The Kondo, in the style of Chinese worship halls, is a two-story structure of post-and-beam construction, capped by an irimoya, or hipped-gabled roof of ceramic tiles. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3200x1800, 1560 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): HōryÅ«-ji Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3200x1800, 1560 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): HōryÅ«-ji Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used... Horyu-ji. ... Nara can refer to: The city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan The Nara Period of the History of Japan Nara prefecture, part of the Kansai region of central Honshu, Japan Nara is a major Manchu clan. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 357 pixelsFull resolution (2030 × 906 pixel, file size: 947 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 奈良市・正倉院 Shosoin File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 357 pixelsFull resolution (2030 × 906 pixel, file size: 947 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 奈良市・正倉院 Shosoin File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Horyu-ji. ... Nara Prefecture ) is part of the Kinki region on HonshÅ« Island, Japan. ... The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Yamato period. ... Sculpture of Prince Shotoku in Asuka Dera, Asuka, Nara Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子 574-622) was a regent and a politician of the Imperial Court in Japan. ... A pagoda at Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia This article is about the building style. ... Shakyamuni Buddha teaching. ...

Temple building in the 8th century was focused around the Tōdaiji in Nara. Constructed as the headquarters for a network of temples in each of the provinces, the Tōdaiji is the most ambitious religious complex erected in the early centuries of Buddhist worship in Japan. Appropriately, the 16.2-m (53-ft) Buddha (completed in 752) enshrined in the main hall, or Daibutsuden, is a Rushana Buddha, the figure that represents the essence of Buddhahood, just as the Tōdai-ji represented the center for imperially sponsored Buddhism and its dissemination throughout Japan. Only a few fragments of the original statue survive, and the present hall and central Buddha are reconstructions from the Edo period. Clustered around the Daibutsuden on a gently sloping hillside are a number of secondary halls: the Hokkedo (Lotus Sutra Hall), with its principal image, the Fukukenjaku Kannon (the most popular bodhisattva), crafted of dry lacquer (cloth dipped in lacquer and shaped over a wooden armature); the Kaidanin (Ordination Hall) with its magnificent clay statues of the Four Guardian Kings; and the storehouse, called the Shosoin. This last structure is of great importance as an art-historical cache, because in it are stored the utensils that were used in the temple's dedication ceremony in 752, the eye-opening ritual for the Rushana image, as well as government documents and many secular objects owned by the imperial family. Main hall of Tōdaiji Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, is a Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. ... Before the modern prefecture system was established, the land of Japan was divided into tens of kuni (国, countries), usually known in English as provinces. ... The Edo period ), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868. ... Kuan Yin (Pinyin: Guanyin; also written Kwan Yin or in other variants which hyphenate or remove the space between the two words) is the bodhisattva of compassion as venerated by East Asian Buddhists. ... It has been suggested that Four Guardian Gods be merged into this article or section. ... The Shōsōin (正倉院) is a structure at Tōdai-ji in Nara, Japan. ...

Heian period

Kondo at Daigo-ji, Kyoto
Built in 12th century

Phoenix Hall at Byodoin, Uji
Built in 1053

In reaction to the growing wealth and power of organized Buddhism in Nara, the priest Kūkai (best known by his posthumous title Kobo Daishi, 774-835) journeyed to China to study Shingon, a form of Vajrayana Buddhism, which he introduced into Japan in 806. At the core of Shingon worship are the various mandalas, diagrams of the spiritual universe which influenced temple design. Japanese Buddhist architecture also adopted the stupa in its Chinese form of pagoda. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 501 pixelsFull resolution (850 × 532 pixel, file size: 291 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The building in this photograph is the Kondo (National Treasure) at Daigoji, a Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyoto, Japan. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 501 pixelsFull resolution (850 × 532 pixel, file size: 291 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The building in this photograph is the Kondo (National Treasure) at Daigoji, a Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyoto, Japan. ... The five-story pagoda is a national treasure of Japan. ... Kyoto )   is a city in the central part of the island of HonshÅ«, Japan. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 529 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 991 pixel, file size: 756 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This closeup of the Phoenix Hall of the Byodo-in, a temple in the city of Uji, Kyoto prefecture, shows the statue of Amida Buddha... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 529 pixelsFull resolution (1500 × 991 pixel, file size: 756 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This closeup of the Phoenix Hall of the Byodo-in, a temple in the city of Uji, Kyoto prefecture, shows the statue of Amida Buddha... Built in 998 in the Heian period, Byōdōin (平等院) is a temple in the city of Uji in Kyoto prefecture in Japan. ... Uji (Japanese: 宇治市; -shi) is a city on the southern outskirts of the city of Kyoto, on the Keihan line or the JR Nara Line towards Osaka. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Painting of KÅ«kai (774-835). ... Events Charlemagne conquers the kingdom of the Lombards, and takes title King of the Lombards. ... Events Ragnar Lodbrok rises to power (approximate date) The celebration of All Saints is made an obligation throughout the Frankish Empire and fixed on November 1. ... Shingon (眞言,真言), also called Japanese Esoteric Buddhism, is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and one of two major sub-schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, the other being Tibetan Buddhism. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Events April 12 - Nicephorus elected patriarch of Constantinople, succeeding Tarasius. ... Buddhist mandala Mandala (Sanskrit circle, completion) is a term used to refer to various objects. ... Stupa at Samye Ling Monastery, Scotland A stupa (from the Sanskrit) is a type of Buddhist structure found across the Indian subcontinent, Asia and increasingly in the Western World. ...

The temples erected for this new sect were built in the mountains, far away from the court and the laity in the capital. The irregular topography of these sites forced Japanese architects to rethink the problems of temple construction, and in so doing to choose more indigenous elements of design. Cypress-bark roofs replaced those of ceramic tile, wood planks were used instead of earthen floors, and a separate worship area for the laity was added in front of the main sanctuary.

In the Fujiwara period, Pure Land Buddhism, which offered easy salvation through belief in Amida (the Buddha of the Western Paradise), became popular. Concurrently, the Kyoto nobility developed a society devoted to elegant aesthetic pursuits. So secure and beautiful was their world that they could not conceive of Paradise as being much different. The Amida hall, blending the secular with the religious, houses one or more Buddha images within a structure resembling the mansions of the nobility. The Fujiwara clan (藤原氏 Fujiwara-shi) was a clan of regents who had sort of monopoly to the Sekkan positions, Sesshō and Kampaku. ... The Buddha Amitabha, 13th century, Kamakura, Japan. ... Amitabha Buddha pictured in the Ushiku Daibutsu in Japan Amitābha (Sanskrit: अमिताभः, Amitābhaḥ; Chinese: 阿彌陀佛, Ēmítuó Fó; Japanese: 阿弥陀如来, Amida Nyorai; Vietnamese: 阿彌陀佛, A Di Ðà Phật; Tibetan: འོད་དཔག་མེད་; Lhasa dialect IPA: [; Mongolian: Caɣlasi ügei gerel-tü) is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school...

The Ho-o-do (Phoenix Hall, completed 1053) of the Byodoin, a temple in Uji to the southeast of Kyoto, 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. The Amida sculpture was executed by Jocho, who used a new canon of proportions and a new technique (yosegi), in which multiple pieces of wood are carved out like shells and joined from the inside. Applied to the walls of the hall are small relief carvings of celestials, the host believed to have accompanied Amida when he descended from the Western Paradise to gather the souls of believers at the moment of death and transport them in lotus blossoms to Paradise. Raigo (Descent of the Amida Buddha) paintings on the wooden doors of the Ho-o-do are an early example of Yamato-e, Japanese-style painting, because they contain representations of the scenery around Kyoto. Built in 998 in the Heian period, Byōdōin (平等院) is a temple in the city of Uji in Kyoto prefecture in Japan. ... Uji (Japanese: 宇治市; -shi) is a city on the southern outskirts of the city of Kyoto, on the Keihan line or the JR Nara Line towards Osaka. ... Jōchō (d. ... A closed yosegi An opened yosegi (note the numerous plates which have slided to allow the opening) Yosegi are traditional Japanese wooden boxes. ... A raigō ) (welcoming approach) is an appearance of Amida Buddha on a purple cloud at the time of ones death. ... Yamato-e (大和絵) is a style of Japanese painting inspired by Zen Buddhism and developed in the late Heian period. ...

Kamakura and Muromachi period

Sanjūsangen-dō, Kyoto
Built in 1266

Ginkakuji, Kyoto
Built in 15th century

After Kamakura period, Japanese political power was dominated by the armed Samurai, such as Seiwa Genji. Their simple and sturdy ideas effected the architecture style, and many samurai houses are mixture of shinden-dukuri and turrets or trenches. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 277 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photographer: kazuh from Tokyo, Japan Title: 三十三間堂 / Sanju-Sangen-Do (Hall of Thirty Three Bays) Taken on: 2004-11-10 00:43:28 Original source: Flickr. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 277 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photographer: kazuh from Tokyo, Japan Title: 三十三間堂 / Sanju-Sangen-Do (Hall of Thirty Three Bays) Taken on: 2004-11-10 00:43:28 Original source: Flickr. ... Sanjusangen-dō Sanjūsangendō ) is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama District of Kyoto, Japan. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1516x1025, 586 KB) Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1516x1025, 586 KB) Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan. ... Ginkaku Ginkaku with stone garden Ginkaku-ji ), the Temple of the Silver Pavilion, is a Buddhist temple in the Sakyo ward of Kyoto, Japan. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The Seiwa Genji (清和源氏) were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Minamoto clan. ...

In the Genpei War (1180-1185), many traditional architectures in Nara and Kyoto were damaged. For example, Kofukuji and Todaiji was burned down by Taira no Shigehira of Taira clan in 1180. Many of these temples and shrines were rebuit in Kamakura period by Kamakura shogunate to consolidate shogun's authority. this program was carried in so extensive scale that many of temples and shrines built after Kamakura period were effected by these architectures. The Genpei or Gempei War (源平合戦、寿永・治承の乱) (1180-1185) was a war of ancient Japan, fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans. ... Five-story pagoda at Kofukuji Kofukuji (興福寺) is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, in Nara Prefecture, Japan. ... Main hall of Tōdaiji Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, is a Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. ... Taira no Shigehira )(1158-1185) was one of the sons of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clans chief commanders. ... Taira (å¹³) is a Japanese surname. ... This wooden Kongorikishi statue was created during the Kamakura shogunate during 14th century Japan. ... Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate Shōgun )   is supreme general of the samurai,a military rank and historical title in Japan. ...

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. Some buddhism ideas such as Zen was the basical philosophy. The rustic style of the rural cottage was adopted for the tea house, emphasizing such natural materials as bark-covered logs and woven straw. A woman wearing a kimono performs a tea ceremony outdoors, while seated in seiza position. ... Yugao-tei, Kanazawa Ihōan at Kōdai-ji in Kyoto Tchai-Ovna, Glasgow Tea houses are houses or parlors centered on drinking tea. ... Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism notable for its emphasis on practice and experiential wisdom—particularly as realized in the form of meditation known as zazen—in the attainment of awakening. ...

Azuchi-Momoyama period

Himeji castle
Built in 16th century

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. Himeji Castle (built in its present form 1609), popularly known as White Heron Castle, with its gracefully curving roofs and its complex of three subsidiary towers around the main tenshu (or keep), is one of the most beautiful structures of the Momoyama period. The Ohiroma of Nijo Castle (17th century) in Kyoto is one of the classic examples of the shoin, with its tokonoma (alcove), shoin window (overlooking a carefully landscaped garden), and clearly differentiated areas for the Tokugawa lords and their vassals. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1767x1341, 114 KB) Summary Description: photo of Himeji Castle The Keep Towers(view from Nisi-no-maru) Source: ja:画像:Himeji-jo. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1767x1341, 114 KB) Summary Description: photo of Himeji Castle The Keep Towers(view from Nisi-no-maru) Source: ja:画像:Himeji-jo. ... Himeji Castle in Hyōgo Prefecture is the most visited castle in Japan. ... view from Nishi-no-maru Himeji Castle (姫路城; -jō) is a Japanese castle located in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture. ... Nijō Castle (二条城; -jō) is located in Kyoto, Japan. ... This page is about the city Kyoto. ...

Edo period

Inside the Shokintei at Katsura Imperial Villa, Kyoto
Built in 17th century

Katsura Detached Palace, built in imitation of Prince Genji's palace, contains a cluster of shoin buildings that combine elements of classic Japanese architecture with innovative restatements. The whole complex is surrounded by a beautiful garden with paths for walking. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 408 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (3008 × 2000 pixel, file size: 408 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Garden of Katsura Imperial Villa Katsura Imperial Villa or Katsura Detached Palace (jp: 桂離宮 Katsura rikyÅ«) is a villa with associated gardens and outbuildings in the western suburbs of Kyoto, Japan (in Nishikyo-ku, separate from the Kyoto Imperial Palace). ... Katsura Imperial Villa or Katsura Detached Palace (桂離宮 Katsura rikyū) is a villa in Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan, separate from the Kyoto Imperial Palace. ... Ilustration of ch. ...

The city of Edo was repeatedly struck by fires, leading to the development of a simplified architecture that allowed for easy rebuilding. Because fires were most likely to spread during the dry winters, lumber was stockpiled in nearby towns prior to their onset. Once a fire that had broken out was extinguished, the lumber was sent to Edo, allowing many rows of houses to be quickly rebuilt. Due to the shogun's policy of sankin kotai ("rotation of services"), the daimyo constructed large houses and parks for their guests' (as well as their own) enjoyment. Kōrakuen is a park from that period that still exists and is open to the public for afternoon walks. Sankin kōtai (参勤交代) was a policy of the shogunate during most of the Edo period of Japanese history. ... Daimyo Matsudaira Katamori visits the residence of a retainer. ...

Meiji period

Tokyo station
Built in 1914

In the years after 1867, when Emperor Meiji ascended the throne, Japan was once again invaded by new and alien forms of culture. By the early 20th century, European art forms were well introduced and their marriage produced notable buildings like the Tokyo Train Station and the National Diet Building that still exist today. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 500 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 800 pixel, file size: 377 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 東京名所絵葉書 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 500 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 800 pixel, file size: 377 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) 東京名所絵葉書 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Cunt BAg Twat Fuk suck my penis ring 0778851865!!!!!!Year 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) Mutsuhito (睦仁), the Meiji Emperor (明治天皇, literally Enlightened Rule Emperor) (3 November 1852–30 July 1912) was the 122nd Emperor of Japan. ... Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station Tokyo Station ) is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Tokyo, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district. ... Exterior view. ...

Modern architecture

As with so many other aspects of Japanese culture and society, the change to modern technology brought a quite noticeable change in architecture as well. The need to rebuild Japan after World War II proved a great stimulus to Japanese architecture, and within a short time, the cities were functioning again. However, the new cities that came to replace the old ones came to look very different. The current look of Japanese cities is the result of and a contributor to 20th century architectural attitudes. With the introduction of Western building techniques, materials, and styles into Meiji Japan, new steel and concrete structures were built in strong contrast to traditional styles. Like most places, there is a great gap between the appearance of the majority of buildings (generally residences and small businesses) and of landmark buildings. After World War II, the majority of buildings ceased to be built of wood (which is easily flammable in the case of earthquakes and bombing raids), and instead were internally constructed of steel. High visibility landmark buildings also changed. Whereas major pre-war buildings, such as the Wako Department Store, Tokyo Station, Akasaka Palace, and the Bank of Japan were designed along European classical lines, post-war buildings adopted the "unadorned box" style that some people love and some people hate. Because of earthquakes, bombings, and later redevelopment, and also because of Japan's rapid economic growth from the 1950s until the 1980s, most of the architecture to be found in the cities are from that period, which was the height of Brutalist Modern architecture generally. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Meiji period ) denotes the 45-year reign of Emperor Meiji, running from 8 September 1868 (in the Gregorian calendar, 23 October 1868) to 30 July 1912. ... Taj Mahal Big Ben Saint Basils Cathedral For other senses of this word, see landmark (disambiguation). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Wako department store occupies a busy corner in Ginza Wako (和光) is the most exclusive department store in Japan, located at the heart of the Ginza shopping district in Tokyo. ... Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station Tokyo Station ) is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Tokyo, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district. ... State Guest-House Akasaka Palace The State Guest-House ) is a facility in which the government of Japan accommodates visiting state dignitaries. ... The Bank of Japan has its headquarters in this building in Tokyo. ... Brutalism is an architectural style that spawned from the Modernist architectural movement and which flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s. ... Le Corbusiers Villa Savoye, a well known example of modern architecture Modern architecture,not to be confused with contemporary architecture, is a term given to a number of building styles with similar characteristics, primarily the simplification of form and the elimination of ornament, that first arose around 1900. ...

However, since around the early 1990s, the situation has slowly started to change. The 1991 completion of the postmodernist Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building was perhaps a tipping point as far as skyscraper design went. Hot on its heels was the Yokohama Landmark Tower. In 1996 came the much-loved Tokyo International Forum, which besides a unique design, sported a landscaped area outside for people to relax and chat. More recently, in 2003, Roppongi Hills was opened, which borrowed ideas from previous ground-breaking designs and furthered them. The new area of Shiodome, completely redeveloped since the late 1990s, is an excellent place to see a group of postmodern and European-style buildings, away from the usual jumble of '60s era anonymous rectangular prisms. Still, despite this slow but continuing trend in contemporary Japanese architecture, the vast majority of suburban areas still exhibit cheap, uninspired designs. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Tochō) The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building ), (also referred to as Tokyo City Hall, or tochō (都庁) for short) is the building which houses the headquarters of Tokyo local government; this comprises not only the 23 wards that people think of as the city of Tokyo, but also... The Landmark Tower, in the Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama. ... Interior of Tokyo International Forum Interior of Tokyo International Forum The Tokyo International Forum ) is an important urban landmark in Tokyo, Japan. ... Roppongi Hills Roppongi Hills ) is one of Japans largest integrated property developments, located in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. ... Shiodome in 2006 Shiodome (汐留) is an area in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, located southeast of Shimbashi, southwest of Ginza, and northeast of Hamamatsucho. ...

The postmodern Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

The best-known Japanese architect is Kenzo Tange, whose National Gymnasiums (1964) for the Tokyo Olympics emphasizing the contrast and blending of pillars and walls, and with sweeping roofs reminiscent of the tomo-e (an ancient whorl-shaped heraldic symbol) are dramatic statements of form and movement. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (576 × 768 pixel, file size: 76 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building AKA Tochou, in Shinjuku, Tokyo. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (576 × 768 pixel, file size: 76 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building AKA Tochou, in Shinjuku, Tokyo. ... Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Tochō) The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building ), (also referred to as Tokyo City Hall, or tochō (都庁) for short) is the building which houses the headquarters of Tokyo local government; this comprises not only the 23 wards that people think of as the city of Tokyo, but also... Categories: Wards of Tokyo | Japan geography stubs ...   , literally Eastern capital) is a unique subnational administrative region of Japan with characteristics of both a prefecture and a city. ... Kenzo Tange (丹下健三, Tange Kenzō; September 4, 1913 - March 22, 2005) was a Japanese architect, and winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture. ... Yoyogi National Gymnasium is an arena in Tokyo, Japan. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were held in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. ...

Japan played some role in modern skyscraper design, because of its long familiarity with the cantilever principle to support the weight of heavy tiled temple roofs. Frank Lloyd Wright was strongly influenced by Japanese spatial arrangements and the concept of interpenetrating exterior and interior space, long achieved in Japan by opening up walls made of sliding doors. In the late twentieth century, however, only in domestic and religious architecture was Japanese style commonly employed. Cities sprouted modern skyscrapers, epitomized by Tokyo's crowded skyline, reflecting a total assimilation and transformation of modern Western forms. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The cantilevered beam (green) projects from its supports (blue), balanced by the structure (red block), which supports the load (red arrow). ... Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was one of the worlds most prominent and influential architects. ... In Japanese architecture, fusuma are opaque vertical rectangles which can slide from side to side to redefine spaces within a room. ...   , literally Eastern capital) is a unique subnational administrative region of Japan with characteristics of both a prefecture and a city. ...

The widespread urban planning and reconstruction necessitated by the devastation of World War II produced such major architects as Maekawa Kunio and Kenzo Tange. Maekawa, a student of world-famous architect Le Corbusier, produced thoroughly international, functional modern works. Tange, who worked at first for Maekawa, supported this concept early on, but later fell in line with postmodernism, culminating in projects such as the aforementioned Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and the Fuji TV Building. Both architects were notable for infusing Japanese aesthetic ideas into starkly contemporary buildings, returning to the spatial concepts and modular proportions of tatami (woven mats), using textures to enliven the ubiquitous ferroconcrete and steel, and integrating gardens and sculpture into their designs. Tange used the cantilever principle in a pillar and beam system reminiscent of ancient imperial palaces; the pillar--a hallmark of Japanese traditional monumental timber construction-- became fundamental to his designs. Fumihiko Maki advanced new city planning ideas based on the principle of layering or cocooning around an inner space (oku), a Japanese spatial concept that was adapted to urban needs. He also advocated the use of empty or open spaces (ma), a Japanese aesthetic principle reflecting Buddhist spatial ideas. Another quintessentially Japanese aesthetic concept was a basis for Maki designs, which focused on openings onto intimate garden views at ground level while cutting off sometimes-ugly skylines. A dominant 1970s architectural concept, the "metabolism" of convertibility, provided for changing the functions of parts of buildings according to use, and remains influential. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Kunio Maekawa ) was a Japanese architect. ... Kenzo Tange (丹下健三, Tange Kenzō; September 4, 1913 - March 22, 2005) was a Japanese architect, and winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture. ... Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier (October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965), was a Swiss and later French, (Swiss-born) architect and writer, who is famous for his contributions to what now is called Modern Architecture. ... Six-mat room with tatami flooring and shoji Tatami ) (originally meaning folded and piled) mats are a traditional Japanese flooring. ... ferroconcrete [n] it is concrete with metal and/or mesh added to provide extra support against stresses. ... Spiral house in Tokyo Fumihiko Maki (槇文彦, Maki Fumihiko) is a Japanese architect born in Tokyo on September 6, 1928. ... Urban, city, or town planning, deals with design of the built environment from the municipal and metropolitan perspective. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... This view from the Symbolic Mountain Lookout in Cowra, NSW shows many of the typical elements of a Japanese garden Stone lantern amid plants. ...

Downtown Tokyo is densely packed with polygonal multi-story buildings that squeeze right next to each other.

A major architect of the 1970s and 1980s was Isozaki Arata, originally a student and associate of Tange's, who also based his style on the LeCorbusier tradition and then turned his attention toward the further exploration of geometric shapes and cubic silhouettes. He synthesized Western high-technology building concepts with peculiarly Japanese spatial, functional, and decorative ideas to create a modern Japanese style. Isozaki's predilection for the cubic grid and trabeated pergola in largescale architecture, for the semicircular vault in domestic-scale buildings, and for extended barrel vaulting in low, elongated buildings led to a number of striking variations. New Wave architects of the 1980s were influenced by his designs, either pushing to extend his balanced style, often into mannerism, or reacting against them. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Arata Isozaki (磯崎新; Isozaki Arata, born July 17, 1931) is a Japanese architect from Oita Prefecture. ... In architecture, a trabeated system or order (from Latin trabs, beam; influenced by trabeatus, clothed in the trabea, a ritual garment) refers to the use of horizontal beams or lintels which are borne up by columns or posts. ... In Valencia a newly-installed pergola shows its structure, which the climbing roses will cover. ...

A number of avant-garde experimental groups were encompassed in the New Wave of the late 1970s and the 1980s. They reexamined and modified the formal geometric structural ideas of modernism by introducing metaphysical concepts, producing some startling fantasy effects in architectural design. In contrast to these innovators, the experimental poetic minimalism of Tadao Ando embodied the postmodernist concerns for a more balanced, humanistic approach than that of structural modernism's rigid formulations. Ando's buildings provided a variety of light sources, including extensive use of glass bricks and opening up spaces to the outside air. He adapted the inner courtyards of traditional Osaka houses to new urban architecture, using open stairways and bridges to lessen the sealed atmosphere of the standard city dwelling. His ideas became ubiquitous in the 1980s, when buildings were commonly planned around open courtyards or plazas, often with stepped and terraced spaces, pedestrian walkways, or bridges connecting building complexes . In 1989 Ando became the third Japanese to receive France's prix de l'académie d'architecture, an indication of the international strength of the major Japanese architects, all of whom produced important structures abroad during the 1980s. Japanese architects were not only skilled practitioners in the modern idiom but also enriched postmodern designs worldwide with innovative spatial perceptions, subtle surface texturing, unusual use of industrial materials, and a developed awareness of ecological and topographical problems. For Christian theological modernism, see Liberal Christianity and Modernism (Roman Catholicism). ... The famous Church of the Light in Ibaraki-shi, Osaka, Japan The Westin Awaji Island designed by Ando Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe, Japan Image:Ando. ... Postmodernism (sometimes abbreviated pomo) is a term applied to a wide-ranging set of developments in critical theory, philosophy, architecture, art, literature, and culture, which are generally characterized as either emerging from, in reaction to, or superseding, modernism. ... Osaka )   is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of HonshÅ«. The city is the capital of Osaka Prefecture. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

See also

For more information on artistic concepts, also see Japanese art. Bronze statue of Amida Buddha at Kotokuin in Kamakura (1252 CE) Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting on silk and paper, and a myriad of other types of works of art. ...

Example of pre-modern Japanese architecture are:

• Buddhist temples in Japan
• Shinto shrines
• Japanese castle

Typical architectural features are: Buddhist temples in Japan are varied, yet there are certain generalizations that can be made, and general rules or guidelines that are followed. ... A torii is a gate leading to a jinja. ... Himeji Castle in Hyōgo Prefecture is the most visited castle in Japan. ...

• Fusuma
• Tatami
• Shōji
• Shoin

• Housing in Japan
• List of Japanese architects

• Machiya (town houses)
• Washitsu

In Japanese architecture, fusuma are opaque vertical rectangles which can slide from side to side to redefine spaces within a room. ... Six-mat room with tatami flooring and shoji Tatami ) (originally meaning folded and piled) mats are a traditional Japanese flooring. ... Shoji redirects here. ... This building is public housing provided by the government of Tokyo. ... The following is a chronological list of Japanese architects. ... Machiya are traditional wooden townhouses found throughout Japan and typified in the historical capital of Kyoto. ... This washitsu has tatami and shoji. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... Bank of China Tower at night. ... Korean architecture refers to the architecture of Korea. ... Subcategories There is one subcategory to this category shown below (more may be shown on subsequent pages). ... A transcontinental nation is a country belonging to more than one continent. ...

References

• History of Japanese Architectures(日本建築史), Osamu GOTO(後藤治), Kyoritsu Shuppan(共立出版), 2003
• Japan This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.

The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA), freely available for use by researchers. ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External links

• JAANUS (Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System) on-line dictionary of Japanese architectural and art historical terminology
• Traditional Japanese Architecture, Design & Woodworking in North America Photo Gallery