A question for Stan about books on Japan's architecture

Tounian · Post by **Tounian** » Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:06 -0700

Hey Stan, I'm doing my interim thesis project in my architecture major, and the project we are doing calls for an entirely wood structure. Do you have or know of any books that show all different styles of Japanese architecture through the years, and how its changed? I really like how Priest Sanshobo's domicile looked, and i'd like to go for a look like that. So if you know of any books I could buy that would help me, please let me know. Thanks!

go · Post by go » Sun Mar 21, 2004 19:03 -0700

A wonderful book is: Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings
Originally published in 1886.
By Edward S. Morse
Dover edition
ISBN 0-486-20746-3
Best wishes to all!
go

Usagi · Post by **Usagi** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 15:38 -0700

Japanese art books or just art book in general about the history of Agricultural art sounds good ^^* dont really know any....but its a tihnker ^^**

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 15:47 -0700

Go's suggestion of Japanese Homes & their Surroundings is a good one.

Most of my architecture books are very specific--such a Kura buildings, castles, Kyoto Mansions, etc--rather than comparing differences between types of structures.

Tounian · Post by **Tounian** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 20:18 -0700

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it. Is that book, Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings, a book that is purely houses, or will it also have temples and places of worship?

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 8:25 -0700

Tounian wrote:Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it. Is that book, Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings, a book that is purely houses, or will it also have temples and places of worship?

It deals primarily with country and city houses, but in great detail. It gives examples of various roofs, entry ways, tea rooms, etc.

One interesting fact of Ise Temple is that it is rebuilt every 20 years, using ancient techniques and cedar wood.

Tounian · Post by **Tounian** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 11:21 -0700

Yeah, my teachers were telling me about that. Actually, whats really amazing, is that somewhere around CT, there is a group of architects from Europe and wood carvers from Japan who still build houses the old way, with wood pegs and heavy timber, just the way they used to be done. Its ungodly expensive, but their work is supposedly top notch. Well I ordered the book you all recomended with a few others, so hopefully my project will be cool when its done. Thanks again.

takematsu · Post by **takematsu** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 12:28 -0700

It's a website rather than a book, so I don't know the utility of it. I stumbled on it in while on a different pursuit, and remembered this thread, so hopefully it'll help a bit.
http://www.huis.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/%7Eno ... hstop.html