History of Japanese architecture History Essay Paper

HISTORY OF JAPAN’S ARCHITECTURE
Japanese architectural designs have a long and unique story that intertwines with the Japanese culture. And just like its culture, the early architectural designs were obscure. Then again, despite its obscurity, it can be accredited with a certain degree of civilization, even before the real Japanese historic period. In the early part of the 19th century, Western influence permeated through Japanese architecture. The era when Kioto was designated as Japan’s capital, domestic art, landscape, and architecture made great and significant strides.
Japanese architecture was begun in 57 B.C. The island of Japan is known for their abundant architectural legacy spread over an impressively and rich history. From its traditional simplicity that evolved to ultra-modern ugliness, Japan’s architecture also saw a large influx of influences from mainland of Chinese and Korean cultures. The early history of Japan is obscure, but it can be accredited with a degree of civilization even before the true historic period. It was from the 19th century when Japanese architecture influence by the Western countries. When Kioto became the capital in 794, the arts of domestic architecture and landscape gardening made great advances.
Japan’s geographical structures and building development adhere to the fact that the country is frequently hit by strong earthquakes. Also, the major parts of Japan are filled with wild vegetation, forests, and hills. In fact, the majority of the country is a rugged hill country. Compared to other countries, Japan has more diverse trees and great natural beauties. Bamboo, for example, is plentiful in the country. As such, this raw material is extensively used in constructing houses and buildings. Stones of volcanic origins are also rich as there are many volcanoes in the country. These are used in walling lower portions of the building and for foundation work.
Climate in Japan also influence its architectural designs. In the winter, Japan is strongly influenced by Asia’s cold airstream. The country’s mountainous nature, along with its prevailing airstreams, all conduces heavy rainfall specifically during summer. Because of this, houses are made to deeply project eaves and face south, providing utmost protection against the scorching heat of the sun.
China and other Asian countries have a huge influence on Japanese literature. In fact, most of its architectural designs show special Asian characteristics but was able to manage its own delicacy and lightness. Also, Japan architecture has a huge resemblance to that of Great Britain, with its indented coastlines offering excellent harbors to its populous continents. These are both utilized as international communication lines and important trade routes. The beliefs and religions, just like other civilizations and cultures, contribute to the development of Japan. Such influences can be seen in bridge building and road constructions.
The Meiji era from 1868 to 1912 was the point when Japan opened its doors to the outside world and built a foundation for modern Japan by the influence of Western culture. Many architectural and historically valuable buildings were constructed by combining techniques of wooden structure that is continued from the Edo period and western style of using stones and bricks. These type of buildings get replaced as time passes, so the Museum Meiji Mura in Inuyama City was built to preserve historic buildings.
Refinement, along with decoration and carving minuteness, are all noticeable in Japanese architecture, construction, and timber. Here, cumulative skills, craftsmanship, and artistry of generations of Japanese craftsmen are seen. You can see these in dominant roofs, striking an artistic contrast of Indian and Middle Eastern practices. The flat terrace roofs are examples of this contrast. Japanese roofs resemble Chinese roofs, too. They are simpler when it comes to treatment and showcase more refinement and delicacy in the outline. The roof’s uppermost part is usually terminated by a gable that is strategically placed above the wall’s end known as the ‘I’rimoya gable. The lower part of the main roof is usually carried around the ends of the buildings in hipped form.
Columns, which followed the Chinese form, are conspicuous in Japanese temples and in facades to palaces and gateways. Intercolumniation is regulated by the standard of measurement known as the “ken”, which is divided into twenty parts, termed minutes and each minute being again divided into a further twenty-two parts or seconds of space. Columns, when square, are paneled and when round or octagonal are receded and often richly lacquered. Even when plain, columns are objects of beauty, as timber was split by wedges and smoothed with a spear-shaped plane known as Yariganna, which left a very beautiful finish.
Most Japanese houses are made from wood-framing or by infilling using stout paper. This strategy helps make the structure feel safer during an earthquake shock. Compared to brick or stone construction, this option is safer. When it comes to temple walling, they use the trabeated arrangement of rails and timber posts. This divides the building surfaces into oblong spaces. And then it is filled in with painted panels or plaster. Light can pass through the main doorways. A cornice-bracketing system is introduced both in its complex and simple forms. Such a system is a feature mostly seen in Japanese buildings.
Standardized bracketing arrangements constitute different and varied orders. Above the building’s columns or pillars are intricately decorated frieze. Above these friezes are bracketing system that consists of projecting wooden corbels. These corbels support the rafters and horizontal members using decorated faces.
Owing to the great projection of roods over exterior walls, there is little direct natural light and the greater part of the light which reaches interiors is reflected from the ground. Circumstances which lead to a comparative absence in moldings in Chinese architecture, apply also to Japanese work. Wall surfaces were admired for their own intrinsic beauty, and emphasis by surrounding moldings was not required.
For a great many years, architecture has been a breaking point for different artistic eras in history. Color decoration, introduced from China in the six century, is applied to both exteriors and interiors of Japanese temples. Beams, brackets, carving and flat surfaces are picked out in gilding and bright colors like blue, green, purple, madder and vermillion – the last a particularly beautiful color when subjected to weathering. Japanese genius for pure decoration has manufactured to invest all major works of every period with vitality and dramatic sensation. The Japanese are noted too, for their meticulous treatment of detail. All the accessories of their architectural design, lacquer work, ivory carving, enamels, faience and bronze vie with each other in minute accuracy and softness of color.
The other temple in Japan is the Shinto Shrine of Kamiji-Yama in Inse, comprises a series of single-storey buildings typical of other Shinto structures. While these shrines are commonly considered as being the little architectural importance, they are significant as contributing to the picturesque element in the Japanese scene. The shrines in Ise offer another example of the national homage to tradition, for despite the fact that they are entirely rebuilt every twenty years, the shrines today remain exact replicas of original structure of the third-sixth centuries.
Pagoda followed in the wake of Buddhistic influence from China, but those now standing mainly date from the seventeenth century, and are ad...