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| ishi-otoshi 石落 | ||||||
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| KEY WORD : architecture / castles | ||||||
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| Also
termed ishi-otoshimado 石落窓. Stone drop, or stone drop window.
A castle installation built into the keep *tenshu
天守, towers *yagura
櫓, walls *hei 塀 and gates
*mon 門, that enables the
defenders of a castle to observe an enemy climbing the stone wall and to
counterattack by dropping stones, and other objects, or to shoot arrows
or fire guns. Typically, it is a timber frame construction built out slightly
over the plane of the stone wall, usually with a floor covered by a wooden
lid that can be removed when necessary. The opening is 0.26m, eight Japanese
inches, sun. The width had to be large enough for the stones to pass through
and to small for the enemy to sneak into the castle if the stones missed
their mark. Some ishi-otoshi projected out in narrow skirts located
at strategic points around the castle wall (Right Corridor, Himejijou 姫路城);
others projected out all around the perimeter of the structure (the Keep,
Kumamotojou 熊本城 and the Keep, Hagijou 萩城); some also projected out from
the windows, (the Keep, Hirosakijou 弘前城). Similar in form and function to
the machicolations in the European castle tradition. |
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 Matsuejou
Tsukeyagura 松江城付櫓 (Shimane)
 Matsuejou
Tenshu 松江城天守 (Shimane)
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(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。 |
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