Tougudou　東求堂

KEY WORD :　architecture / buildings & structures

Lit. east seeking hall. A small building at Jishouji 慈照寺, also popularly known as Ginkakuji 銀閣寺 (1485), Kyoto, built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa 足利義政 (1436-90) on his Higashiyama estate, Higashiyamadono 東山殿. The entire plan was never carried out because he died in 1490 before it was finished. Two of the buildings remain today, the Tougudou and the Ginkaku 銀閣. The Tougudou is about 7m square and built as a private worship hall *jibutsudou 持仏堂. It is a single-storied structure with hip and gable roof *irimoya-zukuri 入母屋造, and a cypress bark roof *hiwadabuki 桧皮葺. It is divided into four rooms. The first room contains the Buddhist altar *butsudan 仏壇, and is the largest room. It is centered at the wall exactly opposite the double paneled doors *sangarado 桟唐戸, that open out toward the garden. The second room, to the east of this room, is a long narrow four mat room called ni-no-ma 二の間. It opens into a 4 1/2 mat room called Doujinsai 同仁斎. Along the north wall is a desk-like space with sliding panels that open to a scenic view. To the left is a 1/2 bay space for staggered shelving. It is believed that this arrangement is the oldest extant arrangement of a desk in front of the window, tsukeshoin 付書院, and an alcove for staggered shelves *chigaidana 違い棚. During a dismantling repair in 1965, the remains of a hearth were discovered in the Doujinsai. Since its age could not be determined, it was not reconstructed. The room to the left of the Doujinsai is called the third room san-no-ma 三の間. It is a large empty space separated from the Doujinsai by removable sliding opaque screens *fusuma 襖. That Ashikaga Yoshimasa and his contemporaries enjoyed drinking green tea in the Doujinsai and san-no-ma is certain. Thus, this 4 1/2 mat room may have been a precursor to the development of the tea ceremony. Tea aestheticism began with Takeno Jouou 武野紹鴎 (1504-55) and then developed by Sen Rikyuu 千利休 (1522-91), a pupil of Jouou.

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*shoin-zukuri 書院造

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