Moya (architecture)

Last updated April 26, 2019

In Japanese architecture moya(母屋) is the core of a building. Originally, the central part of a residential building was called moya. After the introduction of Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century, moya has been used to denote the sacred central area of a temple building. It is generally surrounded by aisle like areas called hisashi .^[1] In temples constructed in the hip-and-gable style ( irimoya-zukuri ), the gabled part usually covers the moya while the hipped part covers the aisles.^[2]

Japanese architecture has traditionally been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors (fusuma) were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to be customized for different occasions. People usually sat on cushions or otherwise on the floor, traditionally; chairs and high tables were not widely used until the 20th century. Since the 19th century, however, Japan has incorporated much of Western, modern, and post-modern architecture into construction and design, and is today a leader in cutting-edge architectural design and technology.

Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and resulting interpreted philosophies. Buddhism originated in ancient India as a Sramana tradition sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, spreading through much of Asia. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravada and Mahayana.

In Japanese architecture the term hisashi (廂・庇) has two meanings:

A butsuden's floor plan

The drawing shows the floor plan of a typical Zen main butsuden such as the one in the photo above at Enkaku-ji in Kamakura. The core of the building (moya) is 3 x 3 ken wide and is surrounded on four sides by a 1-ken wide hisashi, bringing the external dimensions of the edifice to a total of 5 x 5 ken.^[3] Because the hisashi is covered by a pent roof of its own, the butsuden seems to have two stories, but in fact has only one.

This decorative pent roof which does not correspond to an internal vertical division is called mokoshi (裳階・裳層,also pronounced shōkai), literally "skirt story" or "cuff story".

In Japanese architecture a mokoshi, literally "skirt storey" or "cuff storey", is a decorative pent roof surrounding a building below the true roof. Since it does not correspond to any internal division, the mokoshi gives the impression of there being more floors than there really are. It is usually a ken deep and is most commonly seen in Buddhist temples and pagodas. The mokoshi normally covers a hisashi, a walled aisle surrounding a building on one or more sides, but can be attached directly to the core of the structure, in which case there is no hisashi. The roofing material for the mokoshi can be the same or different as in the main roof.

The same structure can be found in a tahōtō with the same effect: the structure seems to have a second story, but in fact it doesn't.^[4]

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References

↑ "moya". JAANUS - Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System . Retrieved 2009-11-21.
↑ "irimoya-zukuri". JAANUS - Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System . Retrieved 2009-11-21.
↑ "hisashi". JAANUS - Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System . Retrieved 2009-11-21.
↑ Fujita Masaya, Koga Shūsaku, ed. (April 10, 1990). Nihon Kenchiku-shi (in Japanese) (September 30, 2008 ed.). Shōwa-dō. ISBN 4-8122-9805-9.

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[1] "moya". JAANUS - Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System . Retrieved 2009-11-21.

[2] "irimoya-zukuri". JAANUS - Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System . Retrieved 2009-11-21.

[hisashi-3] "hisashi". JAANUS - Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System . Retrieved 2009-11-21.

[nk-4] Fujita Masaya, Koga Shūsaku, ed. (April 10, 1990). Nihon Kenchiku-shi (in Japanese) (September 30, 2008 ed.). Shōwa-dō. ISBN 4-8122-9805-9.