Fence - Kaki

Japanese: 垣 - かき

A structure erected above ground to secure housing sites, land, gardens, etc. A wall prevents people from entering and completely blocks the view, whereas a fence often allows people to enter and often allows a view. The main materials for walls are wood, earth, and stone, while fences use bamboo, turf grass, bush clover, and post-holes. Originally, fences were used to separate sacred areas, such as the tamagaki and mizugaki fences seen at shrines such as Ise Grand Shrine, but from the Muromachi to Momoyama periods, they came to be widely used as they are today.

[Jin Nakamura]

kinds

There are many different types of fences. Categorised by the function they fulfill, there are three types: inner fences (used to mark the ground in gardens etc.), outer fences (set around the perimeter of residential land to serve as boundaries), and sodegaki (used for privacy, dividing areas etc.). Outer fences are also called kakoigaki and are built tall and sturdy, while inner fences (also called partition fences or sakai-gaki) are relatively low. Sodegaki are tall and long in shoin-zukuri style buildings, but are low and simply built in single-story buildings. Fences used in Japanese gardens today are generally a continuation of designs devised by tea masters or gardeners for tea gardens, and their uses and structures are not uniform.

For example, a type of sleeve fence called ajirogaki (woven net fence) has pillars wrapped in hagi wood and the inner wickerwork also woven with hagi wood, and is about 5 shaku 5 sun (1 shaku is about 30.3 centimeters) high and 2 shaku 5 sun wide. However, in a one-sleeve diamond fence (hishigaki), the pillars are wrapped in Kuromoji wood and the inner diamonds are made of Kuromoji branches. In a one-sleeve minogaki (minogaki), Kuromoji wood is tied together and the lower part is tied with a square split quaternary. As the pillars that attach the fence to the building are made of Sawtooth Oak logs with the bark still attached, it is considered suitable for living rooms and yoritsuki (reception halls) in sukiya-style architecture. The itomaki sleeve fence is made by wrapping bracken rope around thick Kuromoji branches as the ribs, and is about 4 sun 5 bu high and 1 shaku 5 sun wide.

In addition, fences are constructed using a variety of materials. They can be divided into stone fences made of stone, hedges made of trees planted in rows, and bamboo fences made of woven bamboo. Stone walls have been used since ancient times as castle walls, and some have survived many years of wind and snow to this day. Flowering trees that are suitable for pruning, such as Japanese quince, azalea, satsuki, and daphne, as well as climbing roses, are often used for hedges. Bamboo fences come in a variety of styles, and contribute to creating a uniquely Japanese atmosphere.

The most famous bamboo fence is the Katsura fence at Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto. It is made by combining Hachiku tree branches with two sharp halves on both sides, and is not only beautiful to look at from the outside, but also serves as a defense against the outside. For this reason, it is often used around the perimeter of residential land, as well as around gardens and as partitions. Katsura Imperial Villa's Katsura fence is particularly unusual in that it is made by bending bamboo that has grown naturally from the ground into a spear shape.

The most common bamboo fences are Yotsume-gaki and Kenninji-gaki. Yotsume-gaki is made by setting upright pillars (cedar logs) at regular intervals, placing crosspieces (doubuchi) on them, and then setting upright bamboo pieces called tateko (round Madake bamboo) on them and tying them together with palm rope. There are three to five patterns of furring strips in three tiers, but three or four patterns are more common. The intervals (warima) of the furring strips are usually 1.5 for the top tier, 0.5 for the bottom tier, and 1 for the intervals in between. There is also Edo-mawari, which leaves the top of the tateko 2.5 times the interval between the first and second tiers from the top, and Kyo-mawari, which leaves it 1.5 times the interval.

On the other hand, Kenninji-gaki is used for long fences and is much more elaborate than Yotsume-gaki, so it is more expensive. Four to five rows of fascia are attached horizontally to the post at each end and the intermediate post in between, and they are lined up tightly with stand posts about 3cm wide made from madake bamboo split in half. On top of that, a fascia made from madake bamboo split in half is fitted to the fascia and tied with a palm rope. A brimmed edge made from madake bamboo split in half is placed on top of the stand posts as a rain shield and tied down.

Other types of fences include the Higaki fence, Teppo-gaki fence, Kuromoji-gaki fence, Daitokuji-gaki fence, Yarai-gaki fence, Koetsu-gaki fence, Ryoanji-gaki fence, and Ginkakuji-gaki fence.

[Jin Nakamura]

Main types of fences
©Shogakukan ">

Main types of fences

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

宅地や土地、庭園などをくぎるため地上に設けられる工作物。塀では人の侵入を拒否し、見通しは完全に妨げられているのに対し、垣では人が侵入のできる場合が多く、見通しもまたしばしば可能である。塀では木、土、石がおもな材料であるが、垣ではタケ、シバ、ハギ、掘立て柱などを用いる。元来、垣とは、伊勢(いせ)神宮などの神社にみられる玉垣、瑞垣(みずがき)のように聖域の区画を目的としたものだが、室町時代から桃山時代にかけ、現在のように広く一般的に用いられるようになった。

［中村　仁］

種類

垣の種類はきわめて多い。その果たす機能で分けると、内垣（庭園内などで地面のくぎりに用いる）、外垣（宅地の外周に設け、境界にする）、袖垣(そでがき)（目隠し、区画などに用いる）の3種類になる。外垣は囲垣(かこいがき)ともいい、高く堅固につくられているが、内垣（仕切り垣とも境垣(さかいがき)ともよばれる）は比較的低い。袖垣は書院造などでは高くて長いが、平屋造では低く簡易につくられている。今日の日本の庭内に用いられている垣は、おおむね、茶庭用に茶匠や庭師が案出したのを受け継いでいる場合が多く、その用途も構造も一様ではない。

　たとえば、袖垣の一つの網代垣(あじろがき)は、柱巻きをハギ、中の網代もハギで編み、高さを約5尺5寸（1尺は約30.3センチメートル）、幅を2尺5寸とする。しかし、片袖菱垣(ひしがき)では、柱巻きはクロモジ、中の菱はクロモジの枝で組む。片袖蓑垣(みのがき)では、クロモジを束ねて結び、下部は角割り四つ目を結ぶ。建物との取り付け柱に皮付きクヌギ丸太を用いることから、数寄屋(すきや)建築の居間や寄付(よりつき)にふさわしいとされている。また、糸捲(いとまき)袖垣は、クロモジの太い枝を親骨として蕨(わらび)縄で巻き付けるもので、高さ4寸5分、幅1尺5寸余を基準とする。

　このほか垣は、種々の材料を用いて構成されている。石材を用いた石垣、樹木を並べ植えた生け垣、およびタケ材を編んだ竹垣に分けられる。石垣は、古くから城壁などとして使われており、長年の風雪にも耐え現存している例もある。生け垣には、刈り込みに適したボケ、ツツジ、サツキ、ジンチョウゲなどの花木や、つる性のバラなどが用いられることが多い。竹垣には、さまざまな形式のものが考案されており、日本独特の情緒を醸し出すのに寄与している。

　竹垣でもっとも有名なのは京都の桂離宮(かつらりきゅう)にみられる桂垣である。これは、ハチクの枝と先のとがった二つ割りとで表裏から組み合わせたもので、外から見て美しいうえ、外側に対する防衛にも役だつ。このため宅地の外周のほか、庭園の周囲や中仕切りなどにも多用される。とくに桂離宮の桂垣は、自然のまま大地から生えたタケを曲げて槍(やり)形にしたものとして珍しい。

　もっとも一般的な竹垣に四つ目垣と建仁寺垣(けんにんじがき)がある。四つ目垣は、柱（スギ丸太）を一定間隔で直立させ、それに横木（胴縁(どうぶち)）を当て、そこへ立子(たてこ)（マダケの丸竹）というタケ材を直立させ、棕櫚(しゅろ)縄で結束したもので、胴縁を3段にする三通りから五通りまであるが、三、四通りが一般的である。胴縁の割間(わりま)（間隔）は通常、最上段を1.5、最下段を0.5、その間を1の比率で割り付ける。ほかに、上から1段目と2段目の胴縁間隔を基準に、立子の上部を2.5倍に残した江戸間割、1.5倍に残した京間割もある。

　一方、建仁寺垣は、長い垣に用いられ、四つ目垣よりもはるかに手がこんでいるため、費用は高くつく。両端の留柱(とめばしら)、その中間の間柱(まばしら)に胴縁を4～5段ほど横に留め、マダケを半分に割った幅3センチメートル程度の立子を用い、すきまなく並べる。その上にさらにマダケを半分に割った押縁(おしぶち)を胴縁にあわせ、棕櫚縄で結束する。立子の上部には、タケを半分に割った玉縁(たまぶち)というものを雨よけとしてのせ、結束する。

　このほか、檜垣(ひがき)、鉄砲垣、黒文字垣、大徳寺垣、矢来垣(やらいがき)、光悦垣、龍安寺垣(りょうあんじがき)、銀閣寺垣などがある。

［中村　仁］

垣のおもな種類

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