doned in favour of exposing the natural wood, and with the rise in popularity of the Tendai and Shingon sects of the Buddhist religion, a new, asymmetrical arrangement of temple buildings was introduced. Considered among the best of these is the sanc- tuary and five-storied pagoda of Muroji constructed in the early ninth century.
The 300 years from the 10th to 12th century were marked by strong feelings of nationlism and a reaction against imported culture. Art and literature flourished as a true Japanese expression developed. Refinement, dignity, and elegance prevailed under the guidance of the powerful and culturally-inclined Fujiwara clan. This aristocratic family and the emperors of the period as well as the nobility constructed many notable temples and palace homes. Arranged as a series of rectangular buildings joined by long corridors - with a garden on the south side containing a pond and an island - these reflected the highly-developed, elegant statement of the shinden-zukuri style of architecture.
In 1192 the military government was established at Kamakura and power shifted from the aristocratic to the samurai (warrior) class. Conse- quently, the trend in art and architec- ture became less refined, simpler, and more vigorous. While the tastes of the aristocrats and the samurai were being intermingled, the Zen sect of Bud- dhism brought forth a new style which had emanated from the court of the Sung Dynasty in China. Called Kara yo, its temples featured a symmetrical building arrangement and the rein-
troduction of tile floors as contrasted to the free, asymmetrical planning and wooden floors common to the wa-yo or Japanese style. The height of the altar, ceiling, and building was in- creased but the woodwork was kept plain and the interior was simplified in accordance with the astringent Zen tradition. The Chinese Kara-yo and the Japanese wa-yo of the period even- tually fused and continued to develop.
In residential palaces, the shinden style remained in vogue with the aris- tocrats and a simplification of this called buke became popular with the samurai. Instead of separate buildings joined by long corridors as in the shinden, the buke featured many rooms under one roof or several roofs joined together the resulting struc- ture being surrounded by a ditch or a fence. Thatched or shingled roofs were predominant in both cases while the use of tiles became increasingly less frequent.
-
During the succeeding Muromachi period (1333-1573), painting, architec- ture, and gardening thrived throughout as nobles strove to outdo one another. The samurai-style of the Kamakura period was also developed, resulting in a building method called shoin-zukuri.
The brief but vital Azuchi- Momoyama period (1573-1603), fol- lowing a period of turmoil and dis- order, saw the re-awakening of a new interest in art under the leadership of Oda Nobunaga and more especially under his successor, Hideyoshi Toyo- tomi, the great feudal general. He was primarily responsible for the splendour of this era and, as a devotee of the severely aesthetic tea-ceremony, con-
tributed much to the popularization of the practice among the low classes. Despite the fact that Hideyoshi left numerous magnificent structures to posterity, the period is often referred to as the age of the common people.'
There followed a marked shift in architectural development from Bud- dhist temples to the buildings of daily. life such as houses, palaces, and cas- tles. The harmonizing of architecture, painting, and sculpture reached its height during the Momoyama era and in the first years of the Early Edo. period which immediately followed. The Nijo palace, built in the shoin style illustrates this harmony on an elaborate scale but the purest example is found in the Kangakuin (guest house) of the Onjo-ji temple at Otsu.
In the centuries to follow, the Middle and Late Edo periods (1680-1867), the arts foundered and little artistic and architectural develop- ment took place.
Principles
With forests covering 60 per cent of the countryside, wood has been the basic building material throughout the nation's history and Japanese crafts- men have produced some of the finest wooden structures in the world. The grains and textures of the structural members are never covered by paint. Rather, they are polished and varnish- ed to enhance their natural lustre and beauty.
Closely allied with native Shinto faith is a reverence for nature and a close association with the outdoors. As a result, there has never been an attempt on the part of the architect to
Far East BUILDER, October 1969
29
5
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.