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The 〔''Dougong'' () in Chinese〕 (also called or ) is a system of and supporting the eaves of a Japanese building, usually part of a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine. The use of ''tokyō'' is made necessary by the extent to which the eaves protrude, a functionally essential element of Japanese Buddhist architecture. The system has however always had also an important decorative function. Like most architectural elements in Japan, the system is Chinese in origin (on the subject, see the article ''Dougong'') but has evolved since its arrival into several original forms. In its simplest configuration, the bracket system has a single projecting bracket and a single block, and is called ''hitotesaki''. If the first bracket and block group support a second similar one, the whole system is called ''futatesaki'', if three brackets are present it is called ''mitesaki'', and so on until a maximum of six brackets as in the photo to the right. Each supporting block in most cases supports, besides the next bracket, a U-shaped supporting bracket set at 90° to the first (see photos in the gallery below). The Protection of Cultural Properties logo (see gallery below) represents a ''tokyō'', considered an element of Japanese architecture which stands for the continuity in time of cultural property protection. ==Function and structure== The roof is the most visually impressive part of a Buddhist temple, often constituting half the size of the whole edifice. The slightly curved eaves extend far beyond the walls, covering verandas. Besides being determinant to the general look of the edifice, the oversize eaves give its interior a characteristic dimness, a factor which contributes to the temple's atmosphere. Finally, the eaves have a practical function in a country where rain is a common event, because they protect the building carrying by the rain as far as possible from its walls. The roof's weight must however be supported by complex bracket systems called ''tokyō''.〔 The further the eaves extend, the greater and more complex must the ''tokyō'' be. An added benefit of the ''tokyō'' system is its inherent elasticity, which lessens the impact of an earthquake by acting as a shock absorber.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.chinainfoonline.com/ChineseArchitecture/Dougong_Brackets.htm )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.keiz-net.com/column.htm )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://yabu.asablo.jp/blog/cat/catd/ )〕 This bracketing system, being essential both structurally and esthetically, has been altered and refined many times since it was imported from China. It is made of a combination of weight bearing blocks (''masu'') and bracket arms (''hijiki''). The bearing block, when set directly on a post, is called ''daito'', or "large block". When it connects two brackets, it is instead called . Bearing blocks installed on top of corner posts are of necessity more complex and are called because of how difficult they are to make.〔 In its simplest configuration, each ''tokyō'' includes a single outwardly-projecting bracket with a single supporting block, in which case the complex is called . The projecting bracket is just the tip of one of the roof's beams. If the first bracket and block group supports a second similar one, the whole complex is called (). The ''tokyō'' may also have three () or more such steps, up to six (. The number of steps used to indicate the rank of a ''butsudō'', the higher ranks having more, but the custom was abandoned after the Heian period.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~kotonara/tokyo.kaerumata.htm )〕 In most cases, besides the projecting bracket above it, a bearing block supports another bracket set at 90° (see schematic photo below), extending laterally the support provided by the system. Wayō-, Zenshūyō- and Daibutsuyō-style ''tokyō'' all differ in details, the first being the simplest of the three. The Daibutsuyō style has for example a dish-shaped decoration called under each block, while the Zen'yō rounds up in an arc the bracket's lower ends. Another Zenshūyō feature is the or , a nose-like decoration carved after the last protruding bracket. (See photo in the gallery.) Some of these features can also be found in temples of non-Zen sects. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tokyō」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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