Shinden-zukuri (寝殿造) refers to an architectural style created in theHeian period (794－1185) inJapan and used mainly for palaces and residences of nobles.[1]
In 894, Japan abolished thekentōshi (Japanese missions to Tang China), distanced itself from Chinese culture, and brought into bloom a culture called 'Kokufu bunka (lit., national culture), which was in keeping with the Japanese climate and aesthetic sense. This style was an expression ofKokufu bunka in architecture, clearly showing the uniqueness of Japanese architecture and defining the characteristics of later Japanese architecture. Its features include an open structure with few walls that can be opened and closed with doors,shitomi andsudare, a structure in which people take off their shoes and enter the house on stilts, sitting or sleeping directly ontatami mats without using chairs or beds, a roof made of laminatedhinoki (Japanese cypress) bark instead of ceramic tiles, and a natural texture that is not painted on pillars.[2][3][4]
This style reached its peak in the 10th to 11th century, but when thesamurai class gained power in theKamakura period (1185－1333), thebuke-zukuri style became popular, and declined in theMuromachi period (1336－1573) due to the development of theshoin-zukuri style.[2][3][4]
The main characteristics of theshinden-zukuri are a special symmetry of the group of buildings and undeveloped space between them.
A mansion was usually set on a onechō (町,109.1 m) square. The main building, theshinden (寝殿,sleeping place), is on the central north–south axis and faces south on an open courtyard. Two subsidiary buildings, thetai-no-ya (對屋・対屋,lit. opposing rooms), are built to the right and left of theshinden, both running east–west. Thetai-no-ya and theshinden are connected by two corridors called respectivelysukiwatadono (透渡殿) andwatadono (渡殿). Achūmon-rō (中門廊, central gate corridor) at the half-way points of the two corridors lead to a south courtyard, where many ceremonies were celebrated. From thewatadono, narrow corridors extend south and end intsuridono, small pavilions that travel in a U-shape around the courtyard. Wealthier aristocrats built more buildings behind theshinden andtai-no-ya.
The room at the core of theshinden (moya) is surrounded by a (oneken wide) roofed aisle calledhisashi. Themoya is one big space partitioned by portable screens (seeList of partitions of traditional Japanese architecture). Guests and residents of the house are seated onmats, laid out separately on a polished wooden floor. As the style developed, the moya became a formal, public space, and the hisashi was divided into private spaces.[5] Since theshinden-zukuri-style house flourished during the Heian period, houses tended to be furnished and adorned with characteristic art of the era.
In front of themoya across the courtyard is a garden with a pond. Water runs from a stream (yarimizu 遣水) into a large pond to the south of the courtyard. The pond had islets and bridges combined with mountain shapes, trees, and rocks aimed at creating the feeling of being in the land of theAmida Buddha.
Officers and guards lived by the east gates.
![Museum model of the palace of the Saiō. The hisashi surrounds the moya. The moya is partitioned into an antechamber and a nurigome (塗篭), a 2×2 ken sleeping-space with plaster walls, containing a chōdai (帳台, lit. "baldachin"). The nurigome later shrank and moved into the hisashi.[6] The rigid hinged rain shutters on the far side are hajitomi; the rolled blinds on the near side misu.](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSaik%25C5%25AB_Historical_Museum_-_Display_item04_-_The_palace_of_Sai%25C3%25B4_-_Miniature_model.jpg)
Thebuke-zukuri was the style of houses built for military families. It was similar in structure to the regularshinden-zukuri with a few room changes to accommodate the differences between the aristocratic family and the military family. During the time when military families rose in power over the aristocrats, living quarters changed. Each lord had to build extra space in order to keep his soldiers around him at all times with their weapons within reach on the grounds in case of a sudden attack. To help guard against these attacks, ayagura or tower was built and torches were scattered around the gardens so they could be lit as quickly as possible.
With the increase of people living under the same roof, extra rooms calledhiro-bisashi ("spacious room under the eaves") were built grouped around theshinden. Thezensho (膳所 kitchen) was also built bigger in order to accommodate the required people needed to cook all the food for the soldiers and members of the household.
Unlike theshinden-zukuri,buke-zukuri homes were simple and practical, keeping away from the submersion into art and beauty that led to the downfall of the Heian court.[opinion] Rooms characteristic of abuke-zukuri home are as follows:[7]
Thebuke-zukuri style changed throughout theKamakura andMuromachi periods, and over times the rooms in abuke-zukuri style house decreased asdaimyōs started to use castles.
There are no remaining original examples ofShinden-zukuri style buildings. It is often said thatByōdō-in temple is the existingshinden-zukuri, but according to Byōdō-in, Byodoin is not ashinden-zukuri style.[8]
some current structures follow the similar styles and designs:
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