The "roaring" Painted Dragon on the ceiling at the Sokoku-ji temple. Photo: Kansai Public Relations Promotion Council

Over the years, Japanese architecture has developed a few quirks- like floors that sing or buildings constructed without bolts, a painted dragon that roars, and a sun the size of your toe. Here are the explanations: Yes, some Japanese floors actually do sing. They’re called nightingale floors, and they can be found in ancient temples. When someone walks across the floor, pressure is put on the floorboards, rubbing the clamps (used to hold them in place) against the holes in the floorboards. This “singing” sound is caused by the warping of the floorboards. The sound was thought to be so beautiful that it was likened to the birdsong of the Japanese nightingale. What do you think? Listen to these examples and decide for yourself.

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Sound from Kansai Public Relations Promotion Council. Used with permission.

How do you construct a building without bolts or nails? The Japanese have been doing it for centuries; it’s called the bracket system. When an architect specifies that a vertical column must support a horizontal beam, the builder uses one of many bracket systems to connect them. The bracket systems are a combination of grooves cut in the wood that when set in place hold together incredibly well. Some Japanese temples built in this style have survived earthquakes where everything else was leveled!

On the ceilings of Shokokuji Temple, Tenryuji Temple and Myoshinji Temple in Kyoto roaring dragons can be found. Actually, the dragons aren’t the ones that make the “roaring” sound; it’s the ceiling! When a sound is produced between the floor and the ceiling its echo bounces between them, causing the echoes to overlap. The result is the roar of a dragon. This roar is made more realistic by a slight camber (or curve) in the ceiling, a feature of all of the temples mentioned above.

The last oddity- "A sun the size of your toe", refers to the traditional system of weights and measures, called shakkan-ho, which has been used in Japan for centuries.

Although many people think of these characteristics of design as oddities, they are just some of the many unique elements of the Japanese architectural heritage.