Karayo

A Japanese art term used in the fields of calligraphy and architecture, but its meaning is not uniform.

In calligraphy, it means Chinese-style calligraphy, but in reality it has a narrower meaning; it was particularly popular among Confucian scholars and writers in the Edo period to be devoted to the Chinese style of calligraphy, and calligraphy modeled mainly on calligraphers from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties was called Tang style in contrast to Japanese style.

In terms of architecture, temples were built in imitation of the Song Dynasty architectural style that was introduced from China along with Zen Buddhism during the Kamakura period, and were called Tang style or Zen style. This style was not only adopted by Zen temples, but was later also used in ordinary temples and mausoleums, but compared to the Japanese style architecture from the Nara period onwards, there are significant differences in the layout, structure, and detailed decoration. Its main features are: (1) making the top and bottom ends of the pillars rounded by making rice dumplings, and attaching a base to the bottom, (2) making the ceiling a mirror ceiling, (3) using fan rafters for the rafters, (4) making the ends of the brackets into an arc, (5) using lattice doors made of latticework, (6) using arched windows for the firelight windows, (7) using curved ebi-koryo beams for the rainbow beams, (8) using tiled floors in the halls and corridors, etc. Representative remains of Kara-style architecture include the Shariden Hall of Engaku-ji Temple (Kamakura City), the three-story octagonal pagoda of Anraku-ji Temple (Ueda City), and the Kannon Hall of Eiho-ji Temple (Tajimi City).

[Shinichi Nagai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

日本美術用語。書と建築の分野で用いられるが、意味は一様でない。

　書では中国風の書という意味であるが、実際にはもっと狭義で、とくに江戸時代の儒者・文人たちの間で中国の書風に傾倒することが流行し、主として宋(そう)・元(げん)・明(みん)の書家を手本にして書いたものを、和様に対して唐様と称した。

　建築では、鎌倉時代に禅宗とともに中国から伝えられた宋の建築様式を模して寺院が建てられ、唐様あるいは禅宗様と称した。これは禅寺ばかりでなく、のちには一般の寺院や霊廟(れいびょう)にも取り入れられたが、奈良時代以来の和様建築に比べると、間取り、構造、細部の装飾などに大きな相違がある。その特徴のおもなものをあげると、(1)柱の上下端に粽(ちまき)をつくって丸みをつけ、下端に礎盤を付す、(2)天井を鏡天井にする、(3)垂木(たるき)は扇垂木にする、(4)肘木(ひじき)の端(はな)を円弧状にする、(5)扉に桟で組んだ桟唐戸(からど)を用いる、(6)窓にアーチ形の曲線をもつ火灯窓を用いる、(7)虹梁(こうりょう)に曲線をもった海老(えび)虹梁を用いる、(8)堂内や回廊の床を瓦(かわら)敷きにする、などである。唐様建築の代表的な遺構には、円覚寺舎利殿（鎌倉市）、安楽寺八角三重塔（上田市）、永保寺(えいほうじ)観音堂（多治見市）などがある。

［永井信一］

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