Tooltips– archive –

Yaguramon (櫓門) refers to a type of gate found in Japanese castles that incorporates yagura (櫓), elevated watchtowers or armories, mounted atop the gate structure. Primarily employed as internal entrances within castles, yaguramon serv...

Koraimon (高麗門) is a distinctive style of gate found in Japanese architecture. Characterized by its two main pillars (kagami-bashira) supporting a hipped roof, with additional perpendicular support pillars (控柱, hikae-bashira) behind ...

"Tenkabushin (Tenka-Fushin)" refers to a system of national-scale public works projects implemented during the Edo period in Japan. The term translates to "universal conscription for public works" and reflects a practice where feudal lor...

Yagenbori ( (often referred to in English as "yagura moat") , one of the shapes used when building moats in Japanese castles, a moat with a V-shaped cross-section. It is called yagenbori because the shape of the moat resembles a yagen, a...

"Uchikomi-hagi" is a distinctive stonework technique employed in the construction of Japanese castles. It is characterized by carefully shaped stones that are tightly fitted together, creating a visually appealing and highly durable stru...

Nozurazumi (野面積み) is a distinctive stonework technique employed in the construction of Japanese castles. It is characterized by the use of natural stones without any prior processing. This method of stacking unprocessed stones closel...

One of the stone wall stacking methods. This technique is used at the corners of stone walls and is a stacking method in which the long and short sides of the stones, processed into rectangles, are stacked alternately to increase their s...

A "restored tenshu" refers to the process of rebuilding a Japanese castle's main defensive tower or keep, known as a tenshu, which existed in the past but was lost due to various reasons such as war, natural disasters, or decay. The rest...

"Reconstructed tenshu" refers to the practice of rebuilding a historically significant tenshu (the main defensive tower or keep of a Japanese castle) that was lost due to war, natural disasters, or decay, in more recent times. These reco...

"Koguchi" refers to a critical concept in the defensive design of castles and fortresses, specifically targeting the most vulnerable points such as gates or entrances. Literally translating to "tiger's mouth," the term implies a place of...