User:HelloAnnyong/Gassho-zukuri

Gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り) is a style of residential architecture that can be found in areas of Japan where there is heavy snowfall.

In the villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama, this architecture remains, and it has been recorded as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The most distinct characteristic of gasshō-zukuri is the steep angle of the thatched gabled roofs. Because the shape of the roofs is similar to hands in the gassho mudra, the name "gasshō-zukuri" (lit. praying-hands structure) is used.

Although the huts of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama have become famous, originally the gasshō style could be seen all over Japan. For thatched roofs, a steep incline was a necessity to stop rain from getting in, and the gasshō style was better for this. Also, when areas would be hit with heavy snowfall, these types of roofs could handle the weight of snow much better.

The houses in Shirakawa were built around the time of the end of the Edo Period and the Meiji period.

There are great differences between the gasshō style and other styles of roofs for Japanese homes, such as the drawing room and Sukiya styles. In particular, standard Japanese huts have a ridge beam and main room that provides vertical support, whereas gasshō-zukuri have parts that lean against ridgepoles shaped like the character for person (人), and the ridgepoles intersect. This structure is generally called 'sasu' (扠首), though 'truss structure' (トラス構造) is also used. At the point where the beams cross and the bending moment decreases and the pulling tension centers, the properties of wood make for a great structure. (??)

Spacious attics were created from building gasshō roofs without the koyazuka (小屋束), a vertical beam used in the roof. In the middle of the Edo period, the sericulture industry became more active and used this open area, an the attics of farmers' homes started to have shelving built into them. Originally the gasshō-zukuri had small roofs and low inclines, but in order to make room for more and more silkworm shelves, they learned to make the roofs taller and more steep.

The roofs had to be rethatched once every thirty to forty years, as well as when it would snow and the roof would start to break. Because of the maintenance work, it was necessary to rethatch once or twice a year. Since it was a lot of work to rethatch, other people in the area would come and help rebuild the roof. This sort of group work arrangement was known as yui (結).

• Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama

• Information about gasshō-zukuri (Japanese)
• Gokayama and Shirakawa-gō houses (Japanese)