The Shinden Zukuri was a traditional Japanese dwelling style for wealthy aristocrats and nobles during the Heian period. It featured a main central building called the Shinden surrounded by secondary buildings connected by corridors and bridges. The layout was symmetrical with rooms branching off a central hallway. Materials included wooden pillars, planks and thatched roofs. Interior spaces were simply furnished and decorative items were often movable.

1. traditional
dwellings
Effective Public Communications
[COM 30103]
Natalie Ki (0318918)
Ameer Farhan (0319304)1

2. contents
History of Japan
History of “Zukuri”
Types of Traditional Japanese
Dwellings
Shinden Zukuri
Structure & Layout
Materials
Furniture
Reflection
2

3. History of Japan
8000 BC It is said that the first people to arrive on the islands
of Japan lived back around 8000 BC.
When the Asian inlanders migrated and mingled
with the people of Japan, they began to develop
skills such as hunting, fishing, fighting and other
techniques.
1274 - 1281 Military leaders called ‘Shoguns’ ruled over Japan,
preventing invaders from entering the country by
forbidding foreigners to enter and citizens to leave.
1853 Japan economy begins to grow by agreeing to
trade with the United States.
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4. The Shogun:
Tokugawa Yoshinobu, in 1867
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5. 1868-1912 During the rule of Emperor Meiji, Japan begins to
grow. The country increases in terms of wealth and
power – defeating China & Russia in wars.
1910 Japan takes over the Korea Peninsula, ruling it for
35 years – until 1945.
1923 The Great Kanto Earthquake, one of the worst
quakes in world history, destroys Tokyo and
Yokohama. More than 140,000 people are killed.
1931 Japan invades Manchuria, China. In 1937, Japan
goes to war against China.
1940 - 1941 Japan becomes an ally of Germany and Italy in
World War II. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacks
Pearl Harbor, the U.S. naval base in Hawaii.
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6. The Great Kanto
Earthquake 6

7. 1945 The U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. Japan surrenders
1964 Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympics. It's the first time
the Games are held in Asia.
2001 -
2006
Crown Princess Masako gives birth to a girl, Princess
Aiko. Five years later, Princess Kiko gives birth to a
baby boy. The baby, Hisahito, is third in line to the
throne.
2010 China overtakes Japan as the world’s second
largest economy.
2011 A massive offshore earthquake and tsunami cause
major damage to cities. The country faces a
nuclear threat when a power plant is severely
damaged.
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8. The summer olympics
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9. History & types of
“Zukuri”
9
In Ancient Japan…
Pit
Dwelling
Houses
Houses with columns inserted into a dig-hole in
the ground then surrounded by grass

10. 10
Pit Dwelling House

11. 11
Elevated
Houses
A house that was built with the floor raised
above ground.
It is said to have originated from South-East
Asia.
This type of house was used to store grains and
other foods so that they would not spoil from
heat and humidity.

12. 12
Elevated House

13. 13
In the eleventh century…
Shinden
Zukuri
A house for the aristrocrats.
Built in the middle of a large garden, it is
symmetrical, with long hallways.
This layout allowed the wealthy to enjoy the
seasons.
Shoin
zukuri
A different version of the shinden-zukuri, built
for the samurais.
The only difference is the ornamental alcoves
of the guest rooms.

14. 14
Shinden-Zukuri
& Shoin-Zukuri

15. 15
Gassho
Zukuri
A house for the commoners, farmers and city
dwellers.
These houses were built to withstand the
weather conditions.
Some farmers had space indoors or outdoors
for their cattle and horses.
Houses of the city dwellers were squeezed
close together.
The commoners were taxed based on the
width of the front side of the house, so they
were often long and narrow.
The term ‘gassho’ means ‘praying hands’ –
describing how the roof structure looked like.

16. 16
Gasho Zukuri

17. 17
In the meiji era…
Kura
Zukuri
A house built with a Japanese-looking exterior,
but were made from more fire-resistant
materials.
The style that is the basis for Japanese homes
today, which usually have a long hallway
through the middle of the house with rooms on
each side, is said to combine foreign culture
with the style of house preferred by the
samurai.

18. 18
Kura Zukuri

19. 19
寝殿造

20. 20
The shinden zukuri is a type of architectural style for traditional Japanese
dwellings that flourished during the Heian period.
Typically, this type of housing was built for the wealthy aristrocats,
samurais, nobles and royalty.

21. Structure and layout
21
The shinden zukuri is marked by:
A main, central building (the largest), which is built to face South.
Secondary buildings that surround it and are attached to it by different
types of long corridors and bridges.
The building in such an estate are single-story high and raised off the
ground on wooden pillars.
General layout

22. 22

23. 23
The “SHINDEN”
The heart of the estate, or the “main building” is called the ‘shinden’.
The name “shinden zukuri” comes from this.
Translated, it means “sleeping hall”, thus stating it’s purpose as the primary
residential area of the householder.

24. 24
At the center of the shinden is an area called the:
“moya no hi no omoshi”
It is the inner most sanctum of the shinden, where family treasures are
kept.
It can also be used as a private sleep quarter for the householder.

25. 25
The rest of the ‘moya’ serves as the primary living space for the head of
the house.
The area surrounding it is called the ‘hisashi’
The hisashi can be broken up into ad hoc rooms (temporary rooms) using
partitions, tatami mats and rice paper standing screens

26. 26
The “Tai no Ya”
The ‘tai no ya’, translated, means ‘the pavilion’ or ‘opposed house’.
It is the space meant for the direct relatives, family members and very
close personal friends.

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The “wataridono”
The ‘wataridono’ are the verandas backed by walled chambers.
They usually consist of a combination of open and enclosed corridors that
link the ‘shinden’ to the ‘tai no ya’.
Typically, this space is used as a office or residence chambers for lady’s-in-
waiting.

28. 28
The “sukiwatadono”
The ‘sukiwatadono’ are ‘roofed bridges’ that are often arched or stepped
to provide some form of visual interest.

29. 29
The “Rô”
”The ‘ro’ are the ‘wings’ that stretch across the estate and around the
borders of the southern garden.
This stretch is usually a long corridor (open & enclosed) littered with rooms
that served secondary chambers such as kitchenettes, offices, dojos and
others.

30. 30
The “tsuridono”
”
The ‘tsuridono’ are open pavilions at the south end of the structure.
There may be one or two, and typically, each corridor will terminate the
structure.
It is built abutting or directly over the artificial pond of the estate. This
space is used for fishing.

31. Materials
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The pillars which the buildings rested on were wooden pillars.
The building flooring itself was made out of wooden planks.
There was no general tatami flooring, as tatami in the Heian period were
moved about as required for bedding or for ad hoc seating purposes.
The roofs were all plank construction, with the better models being clad in
cypress shingles while some were even thatched instead.
There were no tiles on the roof except for the ridges.

32. 32
Rice Paper partitions
& tatami mats

33. Furnishings
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There were cushions and rush mats used for sitting and sleeping.
The interior space was often decorated with ikebana (flower
arrangements), movable furniture, cushions, vases or antiques, and works
of art.
For a samurai, they would sometimes have a space for displaying their
katana when guests arrived.
Otherwise, the interior space of a shinden zukuri is relatively plain and kept
to a minimum as most furnishings were temporary and could be stored
during the day so the space could be used for something else.

34. 34
Interior during daytime

35. 35
Typical bedroom
(futon, sudare, zabuton)

36. 36
Living Space
(Hisashi)

37. 37
Living Space
(Hisashi)

38. Reflection
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For this project, we feel as though we have:
- Learnt a deeper understanding on Japanese culture.
- Developed a more keen eye on studying traditional Japanese dwellings,
especially the Shinden Zukuri.
- Understood more on Japanese history.
- Improved out skill on analyzing and sourcing for information relevant to
our project.