Introduction to Japanese Architecture. David Young
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were based on the Chinese custom of enclosing important buildings in a fenced compound with a gate on the south. There are three basic types of temple gates. The first, a single-story gate, can be constructed in different sizes and can vary considerably in terms of the complexity of the decorations. For example, a karamon is a relatively small single-story gate with a curved Chinese style roof and ornate decorations. The second, a rōmon is a two-story gate with a single roof. Thirdly, a nijūmon is a two-story structure with a double roof. Rōmon and nijūmon often have guardian deities in alcoves on both sides of the entrance.
Examples of Remodeling
The Lecture Hall at Tōshōdaiji Temple in Nara underwent a move and was successively remodeled.
A model of the eighth-century Higashi Chōshūden (government workers' building), at the Heijōkō palace. The model is located at the Heijō Palace Site Museum in Nara.
A model of Higashi Choshūden after it was moved to Tōshōdaiji Temple in the eighth century and remodeled as the Lecture Hall. The model is located at the Heijō Palace Site Museum in Nara.
The Lecture Hall as it appears today.
There is no set design for garden gates and they can be made with a variety of different materials.
Temple and Shrine Gates
The importance of a temple or shrine is often indicated by the size and complexity of its gate(s), of which there are three basic types: single-story gates, two-story gates with a single roof, and two-story gates with a double roof.
Munemon: two posts, one story, e.g. Enshōji Temple, Nara Prefecture.
Shikyakumon: four posts, one story, e.g. Enryakuji Temple, Shiga Prefecture.
Yatsuashimon: eight posts, one story, e.g. Ishiyamadera Temple, Shiga Prefecture.
Rōmon: eight or twelve posts, two stories, one roof, e.g. Tōdaiji Temple, Nara City.
Nijūmon: eight or twelve posts, two stories, two roofs, e.g. Chionin Temple, Kyoto City.
Nijūmon originally were used in large Nara Period temple complexes such as Tōdaiji and Yakushiji, but are also typical of later Jōdo and Zen temples and monasteries. The rōmon, used in both temples and many major post-Buddhist shrines, was an adaptation of the nijūmon in which the roof above the first floor was replaced by a simple balcony. The choice of which gate to use depended upon the status and function of the temple.
A good example of the use of gates to symbolize power is the samurai gate. The third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, required that all daimyo who were scheduled to receive an official shogunal visit (onari) at their Edo residence must prepare for the occasion by building special facilities, the most important of which was an elaborate gate known as onarimon.
None of these Edo onarimon have survived, but the style is exemplified by the karamon of Nishi Honganji Temple in Kyoto. Originally an imperial messenger gate at Hideyoshi's Momoyama castle at Fushimi, the gate was moved to Nishi Honganji when Hideyoshi's castle was dismantled. It was rebuilt for a visit by Iemitsu in 1632. The emperor followed a similar custom. When he scheduled a visit to a temple or palace, or sent a delegate on his behalf, special facilities, including an imperial gate, had to be prepared.
Shrine, temple, and samurai gates are largely symbolic, in contrast to castle gates, which had great practical significance in terms of defense. Many castles were built in the Momoyama Period (1573-1600) when Japan was in the process of being unified militarily. If an invader managed to cross the moat, he had to pass through the main gate (Ōtemon) and follow a labyrinthine passage that included many gates and dead ends. There are three basic types of castle gates. The first, kōraimon (Korean style gate), has a gabled roof resting on posts. The second, uzumimon (embedded gate), is built directly into the walls of the castle, while the third, yaguramon, is a wooden structure with a hip-and-gable roof resting on a stone wall. Uzumimon gates, basically holes in the wall, could be sealed with dirt and gravel if the enemy attempted to force its way inside, and yaguramon gates could be barred with heavy wooden doors reinforced with iron plates. The main gate played both a defensive and a symbolic role in that its size and structure provided an indication of a daimyo's influence and wealth.
The giant vermilion torii of Itsukushima Shrine, on Miyajima Island, appears to float in the water. The present structure, supported by four "legs", is 16 meters high and dates from 1875.
In the Edo Period, commoners normally were forbidden to build residential gates. When average citizens began building gates for their private homes in the Meiji Period, they tended to be quite imposing to balance the large roofs of traditional houses. In recent years, there has been a tendency to construct residences with a more open and friendly design. A walled compound with an entrance gate, however, continues to be a popular status marker. Traditional style houses, as well as some modern houses, have small gardens, frequently set apart by an informal fence and entrance gate. The purpose of a residential garden and gate is not so much to impress others as to provide a sense of intimacy and relaxation in an otherwise busy world.
Pre-Buddhist Cultures
In prehistoric times, people entered Japan from various parts of Asia. Originally hunters and gatherers, these early inhabitants eventually developed pottery, agriculture, permanent settlements, and increasingly sophisticated types of architecture. People were organized into clans, one of which gradually assumed dominance to establish the Yamato State and an imperial line that is still on the throne today.
Preceramic Period (?-10,000 BCE)
During the last Ice Age (Pleistocene Epoch), much of the water in the oceans was captured by glaciers, thereby lowering sea levels around the world. Some time before the end of the Pleistocene, when Kyushu and Hokkaido were still easily accessible from the Asian mainland because of low sea levels, different groups of hunting and gathering peoples entered Japan. Some entered southern Japan via the Korean Peninsula; some entered northern Japan via the northern island of Sakhalin; while others may have come directly from the south by boat.
Thus the Japanese people are not a homogeneous race as many believe. These early Paleolithic inhabitants had a variety of sophisticated stone tools but they lacked pottery or settled agriculture. Very little is known about their appearance or way of life, though archaeological evidence is gradually accumulating.
A flat-land building (heichi jūkyo) in which poles were sloped to the top and thatched, serving as both walls and roof. The ground served as the floor.
Jōmon Period (100000-300 BCE)
About 12,000 years ago, when the Ice Age ended, the climate warmed and sea levels climbed, cutting Japan off from the mainland. A new culture was born in the rapidly spreading deciduous forests, and pottery came into use. These ceramic people are called Jōmon (meaning "rope-marked")