page_title: Okinawan architecture
section_title: Appearance
hierarchical_section_title: Okinawan architecture / Appearance
caption_attribution_description: English: Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, Japan. It was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu". 日本語: 首里城。所在地は沖縄県那覇市。ユネスコ世界文化遺産「琉球王国のグスク及び関連遺産群」の一部。 Camera: Sony NEX-5Lens: Sony SEL1855
context_page_description: The history of Okinawan architecture dates back to the Shell Mound Period that lasted between 2000–1000 BC. During this period, houses in Okinawa were principally pit dwellings. Constructors dug houses into the red earth or encircled them by walls made of limestone material. Hearths never featured in either of the two forms of pit-dwellings. During the late quarter of the Shell Mound Period, people started building structures that pillars supported. To build the new buildings, people started using the black muddy soil found in the area to produce tiles. The first step involved mixing the mud with water and drying it for forty days. The second step involved baking the tiles and this led to the roof tiles will has the red color, which is the most significant feature of Okinawan architecture. The red roofs were a preserve of aristocrats because commoners used to live in grass-thatched houses. In 1889, however, the Shuri government abolished the exclusive use of red tiles among the aristocrats and commoners started using the design on their houses. Since then, red tiles are a common feature on houses in Okinawa.
context_section_description: The extensive use of stonework characterizes Okinawan architecture. It is similar with Japan’s stacking style, but it is different in the use of white limestone. Accordingly, Okinawan houses are different from the houses found in mainland Japan in terms of aesthetics rather than style. In fact, Okinawan houses are made of three different styles of stonework: aikata-zumi, nozura-zumi, and nuno-zumi. Aikata-zumi involves curving of stones in a uniform manner to make shapes such pentagons and hexagons. The uniformity of the stones makes it possible to remove one stone and the rest to hold up without weakening the structure. Nozura-zumi involves stacking stones of different sizes and shapes to form a wall without paying attention to aesthetics. It was the first type of stonework among the three. Finally, nuno-zumi involves cutting stones into rectangular shapes and stacking them together to form a wall. Even though it produces beautiful appealing walls, the disadvantage is that removing one stone can result in the collapse of the remaining stones. For that reason, the appearance depends on the choice of one of three types of stonework, which can be either aesthetically appealing or unattractive, but all are made of white limestone. 
  In addition to the external appearance, the internal sections of Okinawan homes are also made of black stone walls. These stones are commonly referred to as himpun and their role is to protect the homes from unwanted spirits. Moreover, the walls separate different sections of the houses and ensure that there is order whenever people are in the homes. Overall, Okinawan architecture led to the construction of appealing structures, especially the red roofs. In most cases, it is the open layout of the structures and the unique roof color and design that makes these houses attractive.   
caption: Walls of Shuri Castle in Shuri, Okinawa
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