Session 2 - October 20

[Philip Bramble]

I really enjoyed reading "Between Ise and Katsura"; it's a good summary of Japanese architectural practice.  There was one thing that caught my eye, however, and I hope you don't mind me bringing this up because I figure it's the nature of scholarship to be dedicated to getting things right.  On p. 16, in reference to the peculiar log construction of the Shoso-in, the 1,200-year-old storehouse of imperial treasures, it says, "In summer the heat contracted the logs letting in the breeze through the gaps; in winter the dampness expanded them keeping the interiors dry."  I did some digging around in some of the books that I have; in A.L. Sadler's Japanese Architecture: A Short History (p.46) it also says the timbers shrank in summer and expanded in winter, while in John H. & Phyllis G. Martin's Nara: A Cultural Guide to Japan's Ancient Capital (p. 39) and June Kinoshita & Nicholas Palevsky's Gateway to Japan (p.576) it merely says that the timbers expanded in humid weather and shrank in dry weather.  Having experienced Japan's unbearably humid summers and dry Siberian airmasses of winter, it would seem to me that the latter is actually the case.  The treasures would be preserved because the summer heat would expand the logs, blocking out the humidity, while the winter cold would contract them, permitting dry air to circulate inside.

[Elizabeth Rosales]

When I was traveling through the states this summer with my son, we drove through many areas that were actively deforesting and reforesting. We saw this in Oregon and Montana. I don't remember if I saw it in other states as well. Timber/lumber is still so important as a building material, but we have also seen a rise in materials like bamboo. Is bamboo the magic replacement for wood? Or is there any material that is as strong and useful as wood? What is the new, hot, green material of choice in construction and architecture?

[Jaclyn Pop]

That comparison makes so much sense!  I hadn't thought of it that way.  Thanks, Kimberly!

[Jaclyn Pop]

I agree, Alison. I thought this was very interesting, too.  I was actually surprised to learn that the Great Buddha had any Greek/Roman influence at all. 

[Elizabeth Rosales]

Incredible construction! It is a sad thought that this is an unsustainable practice to continue to recontruct such massive structures out of such large timber, but it is a living piece of history. Perhaps Japan will see itself cycle back to it's original, more humble, Shinto practice of tree worship and away from the Chinese influence of the Pagoda's and Buddhist temple's. 

[Jennifer Lee]

Thank you for sharing.  I go over the Sanchi Stupa in AP Art History.  I'm also excited to add this new knowledge to my teaching too.  I'm debating what I want my lesson on because we gone over so many artworks that I teach. 😀

[clay dube]

I was not previously aware of this website which collects representations of Japan in English verse. http://themargins.net/anth/19thc/kipling.html

It contains the Kipling poem about the Buddha at Kamakura, but a lot more. That poem concludes:
Is God in human image made
No nearer than Kamakura?

[Denis Vovchenko]

Week 2 Reactions

Ise is indeed a captivating site. Last night we focused a lot on it although Vin in his “Between Ise and Katsura” argued against seeing Ise as a defining architectural monument going against the grain of the Bruno Taut tradition (pp. 9, 33).

In relation to the simplicity I also wished we talked more about the influence of Shinto tree worship on architectural forms such as the central pillar mentioned in “Between Ise and Katsura” (13) and especially on Buddhist temples in Japan in “Behind the Wood Culture” (38). Last night, Vin related the Shinto central pillar to the Axis Mundi. We saw the same concept in the layout of ancient Chinese cities in Wheatley’s reading last week. Since the Japanese borrowed Chinese urban planning patterns in the Heian period, I wonder if they transformed the Chinese Axis Mundi ideas to fit their traditions. Does anyone know?

Japan is famous for creatively changing foreign influences as Vin emphasized last night talking about Zen. Although in the video, Vin stressed that Zen Buddhism proved to return Buddhism to its original simple ideals by deemphasizing Buddha’s divinity and elaborate iconography. This reminded me of German and Swiss Protestantism with its iconoclasm, rejection of Catholic saints, biblical literalism, “faith alone,” etc. In contrast, Mediterranean Catholic and Orthodox Christians where Christianity had started and developed kept those traditions. Is it fair to compare outlying areas like Northern Europe and Japan in their attempts to purify adopted religions?

 

[Denis Vovchenko]

The comparative approach is essential in teaching world history because it is impossible to cover very much. What Vin said about the round shape of Buddhist temples reminded me of Teotihuacan in Mexico which influenced the Maya and the Aztecs and more speculatively, even the Cahokia and other Mound-Builders in North America. I think it would be a great primary source assignment/discussion to have students those temples defined by the stone-clad hilltop sanctuaries. Visual learners should love it!

 

[Denis Vovchenko]

The central tree idea we see in Shintoism reminded me of the Tree of Knowledge in the Genesis. But as far as I know, that Biblical image did not lead to any architectural adaptations, right?

[Philip Bramble]

A yurt can indeed be special inside.  I was lucky enough to stay for a couple of nights in a yurt that was rented out by a Kazakh family in the mountains of Xinjiang.  It was incredibly lush inside: carpet after carpet piled high, with soft futons for sleeping on and cushions everywhere.  No doubt it was gussied up for the tourists, but it nevertheless made for one of the softest, soundest nights of sleeping I ever had in China.
The other picture I wanted to share was of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower in Tokyo.  It's instantly recognizable, but what I hadn't noticed until watching the second video was how much it resembled the form of the Chinese stone pagoda as pictured in the diagram.  I don't know whether that was intentional, but it's remarkable nonetheless.

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Philip Bramble]

I had the same feeling in France when I stayed with a friend's family at their farmhouse in the countryside.  Such a beautiful stone building!  Moreover, you could tell that this building would be passed down to someone else just as it had been passed down to the over the years.

[Alison Douglas]

I agree with you about the incredible construction.  With the knowledge of the brackets, and how to prepare the timber for construction is fascinating.  I had no idea that it took 4 years to perserve the sap in the tree before it could be used.

[Shaolu Yu]

The article mentioned the environmental impacts of wood construction in Japan. The consumption of wood in architecture in Japan lead to de-forestration and re-forestration. Compared to the concrete and steels which dominate the modern architecture and urbanization, which seems to generate more envioronmental issues, including de-forestration, air pollution, energy consumption (to cool/heat the indoor temp), don't woods seem to be more environmentally friendly? 

[Elizabeth Rosales]

So true! Tea and Coffee rituals seem so meditative! A great way to transition between sleep and work.

[Author]

Posts