zenshuuyou　禅宗様

KEY WORD :　architecture / general terms

A style of architecture imported from China during the Sung dynasty. It includes the architectural elements that came with the Zen sect, Zenshuu 禅宗, imported from China during the early Kamakura period. Zen was brought to Japan by the Japanese Buddhist priest Eisai 栄西 (1141-1215). The word kara 唐 meant Chinese, but kara also included other foreign imports; for example, things imported from southeast Asia. A specific example is sandalwood which is called *karaki 唐木. However, to express the architectural style that came into Japan with Zen Buddhism, Dr. Oota Hirotarou 太田博太郎, well-known architectural historian, created the term zenshuuyou, to replace karayou 唐様. This has been widely accepted, especially in Japanese books on architecture published in English.

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