GOVERNED BY HIERARCHY: JAPAN’S SAMURAI DISTRICTS BUDGET Medieval Japanese cities followed basic planning principles that The strict sense of hierarchy was further applied at the building Airfare $2100 originally correlated to defense strategies. A castle was the civic design level. From the overall proportions and layout of the Hotel $1300 Transit $500 and geographic center, surrounded by samurai residences, with residences, down to the specific sizes of pillars and design of entry Sites $400 merchants and artisans concentrated in specific districts farther gates, everything was strictly related to a samurai’s rank and societal Food $700 afield. The buildings became rigorously reflective of the societal standing. The rooms within the house were laid out in a methodical structure: high-ranking samurai lived near the castle in large way, with proportions based on tatami mat modules. Each of the six The rigid samurai code of ethics has long been residences, while lower-rank homes were increasingly subordinate villages has several superb examples of preserved homes, ranging romanticized in film and literature around the in location and character. Portions of the samurai districts in Usuki from a simple low-caste pharmacist’s home in Nagamachi to the F world. Further investigation reveals that this and Chiran have been preserved nearly intact, providing ample large samurai mansions of Kitsuki. inexorable hierarchy governed all aspects of opportunity to observe how this hierarchy dictated the urban plan. feudal life, including the built environment. The international influence of Japan’s architectural legacy is well- For 700 years, samurai comprised the highest A central principle of traditional Japanese design is the harmonious documented, from Frank Lloyd Wright’s well-known inspiration to A tier in a rigid caste system, and they served closeness between buildings and nature. Within the samurai districts, more recent Pritzker winners Tadao Ando and Shigeru Ban. The D as Japan’s civic and military leaders. Their each house was intentionally situated within the landscape to create design principles inherent in the samurai villages were central E residences were designed in accordance a pleasing set of spatial hierarchies. While the buildings were rigid to Japanese society for hundreds of years and the high level of with precise planning guidelines that directly and symmetrical, the gardens were often purposefully picturesque. preservation indicates their continued importance. The rigor with B correlated to status and rank. We propose to Small “view gardens” were intentionally framed to be seen, but not which the underlying design principles were carried through urban visit the six major preserved samurai districts accessed from an interior room. Larger gardens, surrounding the planning, landscape design, and architectural detailing could be in Japan to study how this hierarchical system homes of more prestigious samurai, could be extensive and take on deeply informative towards RAMSA’s master planning projects in C was applied at three scales: urban planning, symbolic forms. For example, rock formations and a pond imitate a Asia and around the world. site design and building design. sacred mountain in the unique Tsukiyama Sansui garden in Chiran.

URBAN PLANNING SITE DESIGN BUILDING DESIGN

A. HAGI CASTLE CITY B. USUKI DISTRICT C. CHIRAN DISTRICT D. NAGAMACHI DISTRICT E. KITSUKI CITY F. MATSUE OLD TOWN This former regional capital The winding alleys are framed This district’s lush gardens This district contains Two hilltop samurai districts Several ranks of samurai and trade hub features both by temples and residences, include seven different examples of residences from demonstrate the hierarchy residences surround one of samurai and merchant homes. configured for defense. traditional designs. different caste levels. between the samurai ranks. Japan’s oldest extant castles.