移ろいの場所としての日本建築

Abstract

For the Japanese, ultimate reality is transiency; continuous presence is an illusion. For this reason, Japanese architecture emphasizes transitional, intermediary zones. Two architectural elements where this emphasis can be seen are the engawa veranda (縁側) and the hashigakari bridgeway (橋掛り) of the Noh stage. Given the Japanese emphasis on the temporal dimension of architecture, literary poetics is useful for an appreciation of these phenomena. This paper relies primarily on Martin Heidegger's "…Poetically Man Dwells…," and 22nd generation Noh actor Komparu Kunio's The Noh Theater to give a phenomenological description of these two elements.