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    From Castle to Teahouse: Japanese Architecture of the Momoyama Period
    From Castle to Teahouse: Japanese Architecture of the Momoyama Period
    From Castle to Teahouse: Japanese Architecture of the Momoyama Period
    Ebook366 pages1 hour

    From Castle to Teahouse: Japanese Architecture of the Momoyama Period

    By John B. Kirby, Jr

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    The Momoyama period of Japanese art history, at the turn of the 16th century, is perhaps best known to the West through the resplendent paintings of the Kano masters and their fellow artists. Yet this same period offers such a variety of architectural pleasures that, in at least one of its many facets, it makes an appeal to every taste. It ranges from the largest and most imposing castles to the smallest and most tastefully designed teahouses. Paintings and gardens are an integral part of it, as they are in all Japanese architecture, and here, also, the range extends from the gorgeous and elaborate to the utmost in simplicity and restraint. It is with this exuberant period in Japanese history that the present book is concerned. Its purpose is to present, against a background of colorful history, the architectural achievements of an elegant age.

    In the first part of this book, Mr. Kirby discusses and illustrates the principal forms of castle, shoin, and sukiya architecture that he considers to the most important contributions of the Momoyama period. The second part presents existing examples of Momoyama structures together with a brief section on developments of less importance in religious architecture and construction of an essentially engineering nature. All of these are pictured in a generous selection of excellent photographs accompanied by plans and elevations for a number of the structures discussed.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTuttle Publishing
    Release dateApr 15, 2015
    ISBN9781462913350
    From Castle to Teahouse: Japanese Architecture of the Momoyama Period

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      Book preview

      From Castle to Teahouse - John B. Kirby, Jr

      From Castle to Teahouse

      FROM CASTLE

      TO TEAHOUSE

      JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE OF THE

      MOMOYAMA PERIOD John B. Kirby, Jr.

      RUTLAND, VERMONT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, TOKYO, JAPAN

      European Representatives

      For the Continent:

      BOXERBOOKS, INC., Zurich

      For the British Isles:

      PRENTICE-HALL INTERNATIONAL, INC., London

      Published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company,

      of Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo, Japan

      with editorial offices at

      Osaki Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0032

      Copyright in Japan, 1962

      by Charles E. Tuttle Company

      All rights reserved

      Library of Congress Catalog

      Card No. 62-9361

      ISBN: 978-1-4629-1335-0 (ebook)

      First edition, 1962

      Layout of illustrations by M. Kuwata

      Book design and typography by Kaoru Ogimi

      PRINTED IN JAPAN

      To Jan

      Contents

      List of Illustrations

      Foreword

      PART ONE

      The Forms

      1. The Castle

      2. The Shoin Mansion

      3. The Sukiya Teahouse

      4. Paintings, Gardens, and Gates

      PART TWO

      Representative Examples

      5. Azuchi Castle

      6. Osaka Castle

      7. Fushimi Castle

      The Gate of the Sambo-in at Daigo

      The Gate at Nijo Castle

      The Gate at Toyotomi Jinja

      The Gate at Nishi Hongan-ji

      The Gate at Goko no Miya

      The Gate at Kodai-ji

      The Shoin Buildings at Nishi Hongan-ji

      The Tozamurai, Shikidai, and Ohiroma at Nijo Castle

      The Kyaku-den of the Konchi-in at Nanzen-ji

      The Karakasa-tei and Shigure-tei at Kodai-ji

      The Shunso-ro at Sankei-en

      8. Nijo Castle

      9. Nagoya Castle

      10. Imperial Palaces

      The Gate at Daitoku-ji

      The Hojo at Nanzen-ji

      11. Jurakudai

      The Gate at Daitoku-ji

      The Hiun-kaku, Okujaku-tei, and Kokakudai of the Nishi Hongan-ji

      The Chinryu-tei at the Sambo-in

      The Fushin-an at Omote-Senke

      12. Independent Structures

      The Omote-shoin at the Sambo-in

      The Toyobo at Kennin-ji

      The Tai-an at the Myoki-an

      The Ryoko-in at Daitoku-ji

      13. Other Forms

      The Hoko-ji

      Namban-ji

      Temples and Shrines

      Sanjo Bridge

      The O-doi

      Appendix: List of Other Noteworthy Examples

      Short Bibliography

      Index

      List of Illustrations

      Foreword

      THE MOMOYAMA period of Japanese art history-1573 to 1615—offers such a variety of architectural pleasures that, in at least one of its many facets, it should appeal to every taste. It ranges from the largest and most imposing castles and palaces to the smallest and most tastefully designed teahouses. Painting and gardens are an integral part of Japanese architecture and here, also, the range extends from the gorgeous and elaborate to the utmost in simplicity and restraint.

      In contrast to other eras, the architectural developments of the Momoyama period were not chiefly concerned with the building of religious edifices. During this time of conquest and consolidation in which the Japanese nation came to be united under a single leader, military architecture was of prime importance. More important in terms of application to contemporary design was the shoin style of residential architecture, which reached its zenith in this period of creativity. The third major architectural contribution of the age was the introduction of the sukiya style, represented by the teahouse. It is indeed remarkable that in such a short period of time these three dissimilar but related types of architecture developed forms which have never been surpassed in Japan or, in the opinion of many, in the world.

      The shoin and sukiya styles have left their imprint on Japanese residential architecture, which retains many of the forms of the Momoyama period to this day. Therefore a knowledge of the influence of these styles is pertinent to a study of contemporary Japanese architecture and the latter's impact upon the rest of the modern world.

      In the first part of this book I have discussed and illustrated the principal forms of castle, shoin, and sukiya architecture which I feel were the most important contributions of the period. The second part consists of existing examples of Momoyama structures followed by a brief section on developments of less importance in religious architecture and construction of essentially an engineering nature.

      I have tried to keep the text as untechnical as possible. The approach is that of an architectural historian using a minimum of architectural terms and including pertinent historical data. I have also tried to limit the number of Japanese words in the text. English explanations follow all but the more obvious terms. Should there be doubt, English explanations of all Japanese terms appear in the index as also do the long-vowel marks for Japanese words.

      It is hoped that through an understanding of forms and examples from this creative period of Japanese history, the reader will appreciate the heritage of Japans architectural past and the background upon which are based her aspirations for the future.

      The kindness of many people both in Japan and in America has made this book possible. I am indebted to all Japanese for letting me visit their beautiful country and study their architectural treasures. I particularly wish to thank the owners and caretakers of temples, shrines, castles, and teahouses for the permission to photograph their buildings.

      I wish also to express appreciation to the many persons who have spent time and effort which contributed to this volume. I am indebted to Ambassador Toshikazu Kase, who helped my wife and me in planning our trip to Japan. We were very fortunate in being adopted by the Yojibei Yoshikawa family of Fushimi, in Kyoto, and their loving care and companionship will always be gratefully remembered. I must thank Miss Utako Miyaki, who accompanied me on most of my photographic adventures; she acted as an interpreter, and her knowledge of Japanese courtesies (almost ritualistic at times) was an aid in securing admission to many examples of architecture. The late Mr. Jiro Kato, an authority on the Fushimi-Momoyama area and Fushimi Castle, conferred with me often concerning his field, and his passing was a great personal loss. I owe a great debt to Mr. Tomoya Masuda, my teacher in the Department of Architecture of Kyoto University, for his advice, encouragement, and aid. Yoshichiro Marutani is to be thanked for the skill with which he processed my photographs. I also wish to acknowledge the help of Hidesaburo Suzuki of the Kyoto American Cultural Center.

      I am indebted to the Nishi Hongan-fi of Kyoto for Figures 89-111 and to an anonymous friend for Figures 115-32 on Nijo Castle. Figure 177 is reproduced from Nihon no Kenchiku by permission of the authors, Hirotaro Ota, Tai Tanabe, and Katsu-kichi Hattori. All other photographs in the book are my own work.

      I am grateful to students of the Department of Architecture of Kyoto University for all the line drawings in this book. Figure 46 is from a plan by Junichi Tsuchiya, who in turn acknowledges his indebtedness to a publication entitled Azuchi-jo Tenshu Fukugenko, Rombun-shu No. 1; and Figures 12 and 13 are based upon models made by Masabumi Oshima. I also wish to thank my father for the loan of a camera and my wife for enduring the travels and sacrifices that a work of this nature entailed.

      JOHN B. KIRBY JR.

      PART ONE

       The Forms

      ALTHOUGH the Momoyama period lasted for only forty -two years, from

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