User:Dillon.inglee/sandbox

Article Evaluations: Kyoto, Tō-ji.

Evaluating the article of 'Kyoto'. When we began to learn about Kyoto in class, it really seemed interesting to me in the way that Japanese culture shaped the designs ad beliefs surrounding the architecture. I also was drawn in by its beauty and difference to the rest of the buildings that we had previously been discussing.

In the evaluation of the Kyoto article, I am noticing that even though there is reference to Tourism as a heading and a subject of interest, there is not a subject of interest or heading for architecture. There is no reference really within the article even to the historic importance of the architecture within the city and its significance. There is plenty of information else wise of the museums and tourism sites but no information strictly about the architecture of the city. Rather that have to put links in to the certain buildings, I feel as though there should be a section that I can add describing the architecture as a whole, noting certain buildings and structures that I can link the page to, but make a generic subject of interest after the tab of Tourism or even within it itself.

I searched further to the certain places that are within the city limits of architectural importance, and found a Buddhist temple named Tō-ji. This is a tower in the eastern sector of Kyoto, I believe, that has little to no architectural analysis or history done on it. This is a good page, I think to do my research upon, as any information that I can add in this subject will build upon the knowledge available about Tō-ji.

Citations currently:

brittanica.com, Japanese Architecture Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. Zenshuuyou: Nishi, Hozumi (1996:26–27) / Nishi & Hozumi 1996, p=20 / Nishi, Hozumi (1996:22-23) / hidden roofs: Parent, Mary Neighbour. Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. Noyane kukai: Abe, Ryuichi (1999). The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11286-6.

Architectural Analysis
-Tō-ji was rebuilt in the late Edo Period, verging on the Kamakura Period. During this rebuild, Tō-ji was dedicated to be a Shingon Buddhist temple (Shingon, a form of Vajrayana Buddhism, was brought to Japan by Kūkai, a priest in 806). These temples were typically built in the mountains and utilized more natural and demographical design elements, dictating the resulting architectural layout. In the Kamakura period, Japanese architects began to utilize technology to resist damage from earthquakes, rainfall, sun and heat damage. These fortifications were integrated into the remodeling of Tō-ji. This style of building of defending against the natural elements evolved into the Zenshūyō style, seen later on in the Kamakura period. This style utilizes the "hidden roof" innovation. Zenshūyō style temples, such as Tō-ji, are characterized by linear spacing outlines of the Garan, hinging panel doors, cusped windows called Katōmado, and decorative pent roofs called Mokoshi. Although containing many of the elements of Zenshūyō style architecture, the Tō-ji temple uses the natural land around it to dictate the layout of the garan, which is a technique used in the Heian Period and Edo Period of Japanese Architecture. This correlates with the Shingon attribution by Emperor Saga in 823. The decorative mokoshi and outfitting of modern structural technology (of the time), was most likely integrated during the remodeling of the tower in the Kamakura Period.