什麼是日本建築

日本傳統建築。早期的日本建築風格是約出現於西元前400年、由草舖成屋頂的矮房或以茅草爲頂的穀倉，以及由土堆成的墓穴（kofun）。佛教寺院則是依中國及韓國的樣式修改而成，講求對稱、繁複的邊緣裝飾，有蜿蜒的迴廊，有時會有佛塔（pagoda）、金堂（Golden Hall; kondo）、鐘樓（belfry）及住宿區。瓷磚、石頭和木材爲屋頂的必要建材，屋體結構則以石頭爲基底的木柱支撐，平面結構則複雜程度不一。法隆寺（Horyu-ji）以不對稱的設計和輪廓則爲日式建築中的異數。家居建築的則以中規中矩的鄉村建物爲其特色，有簡潔的觀賞庭院、走廊及推開後即可遠觀自然景緻的拉門，而改良的茶室及書房（tsuke shoin）則是爲了符合沈思的需求而制。由於19世紀晚期快速吸收西方科技，日本建築亦開始以磚塊、石塊和強化水泥取代木材。戰後日本最大的建築成就即在傳統形式的當代詮釋。參閱shinden-zukuri、shoin-zukuri、sukiya style。

Japanese architecture

Building traditions of Japan. Early building types were the grass-roofed pit house, raised thatched-roof granary (c. 400 BC), and mound tomb (kofun). Buddhist temples were first modeled on the Chinese and Korean form, a symmetrical complex bordered by a continuous roofed cloister usually containing a pagoda, Golden Hall (kondo), belfry, and living quarters. Roof tiles, stone, and wood were the essential materials. Structures relied on wood pillars placed on stone bases; horizontal elements were added in varying degrees of complexity. With Horyu-ji finally appeared the distinctive Japanese approach: asymmetrical layouts following the contours of the land. Domestic architecture became marked by unpretentiously rustic buildings, meticulously designed viewing gardens, verandas, and sliding panels offering vistas on nature. The need for a place of contemplation led to the evolution of both the tea room and study room (tsuke shoin). The late 19th century saw a rapid assimilation of Western technology, with brick, stone, and reinforced concrete displacing wood. Postwar Japan's finest architectural achievements are in contemporary interpretations of traditional forms. See also shinden-zukuri, shoin-zukuri, sukiya style.