Japanese architecture and joinery - GIF

[mklotz]

Very precise joinery for such large pieces and all held together with locking pins.

I've read that Japan has very few sources of the large timbers used in traditional constructions (temples and the like) so smaller pieces must be connected to obtain the required length.

Also, these multiple joints allow the buildings to flex in earthquakes without shaking themselves to pieces. The huge buildings in China's forbidden city have complex multi-piece supports for the immensely heavy tile roofs and they've survived many earthquakes.