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Japanese Construction

Mae Biller

Japanese Construction Mae Biller

Old Construction

Common Structural Patterns

While visiting multiple Temples and shrines while in Japan, I notice a very common architectural pattern, and that was these cross-wood structure. I believe that it was a stylistic choice, but also another way that they could avoid using too much hardware.

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This picture was taken inside of the Himeji Castle. It surrounded the stair well and was on every floor. Because this cross section is not nearly as flashy, I believe that it is used for better structural integrity, not only looks.
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This structure was on the corner of the outer wall of one of the shrines on the premises of the 1000 Torii gates. I thought the top cross section was interesting because it seems to be the only thing holding it in place.

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This cross pattern is on the underside of a large gate in Nara Park. Although it is a common structural feature, I'm sure it is used to be much sturdier.

Intricate Detailing

Shrines and Temples seem simple at a glance, but there are sections of them that have lots of care and detail involved. An example of this beautiful detailing is seen in this picture below.

Old Structural Technology

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Old Bracket

I was thinking for a while what this could possibly be used for. The only thing I could think of was some kind of bracket to hold wood in place. The twist in the metal made me think maybe it was some kind of old technology against earthquakes.
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Anti-Ninja Floor

Initially I thought these were just some old nails that weren't doing a good job, however, I realized these were part of a anti-Ninja flooring system. It sounds silly I know, but back then Ninjas were a real problem because they could sneak into building so quietly. These nails would intentionally make the ground creaky so that footsteps could be heard.

Avoiding Hardware

Early age engineers that built these temples and shrines wanted to use as little hardware as possible. I noticed clever ways they created secure fitting with wood or rocks or whatever material they were already using.

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I found this joint in the Itsukushima Shrine. To keep these pieces of wood tightly together, a small square piece of wood was jammed in between to keep it solid.

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Another joint I found in the Itsukushima Shrine. To keep the angled piece of wood from sliding, it appears a smaller wooden block was placed to hold it in place.

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This rock wall was found in the Osaka Castle. To keep the wall firm, little rocks were placed in between the bigger rocks.

Modern Contruction

Some Modern Machinery

I noticed they had pretty much the same machinery as we do, however, they were much smaller than ours. At least this was true for non-large projects.

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An excavator I saw in Hatsukaichi-Miyajimacho. It was unclear what it was being used for. It was sitting in the middle of the path which I thought was very trusting of tourists.

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A worker truck I saw in Yoyogi park. I think it was mostly used for transporting garden tools. I thought it was interesting to see because there weren't very many trucks in Japan, only those used for a job.

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Another construction machine I saw in Hatsukaichi-Miyajimacho. I'm not sure what it does but if I had to guess it was used similar to a truck but heavier duty and to access hard to reach areas, hence the tracks rather than wheels. Again, much smaller than I would expect.

Construction sites

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A Contruction site between two buildings in Hiroshima. I thought it looked very open with minimal fencing. Also, another one of those trucks I mentioned previously. So much smaller than our work trucks.

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Construction fencing in Hiroshima. The fencing is similar, but you can actually see through it to see what's going on. I also thought the signs were a little friendlier than ours, with I assume more information considering how much text is on them.

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Scaffolding on the side of a building I found in Koto - Aomi. Pretty much the same as ours.

Mae Biller
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