| relig. |
" Gongen style'. A style of shrine architecture which features extensive lacquer work and ornate carvings. The main shrine buildings are laid out in the shape of an 'H'. It is common in shrines closely associated with esoteric Buddhist centres and became popular after it was used for the 1636 Tosho-gu mausoleum of the gongen Tokugawa, Ieyasu at Nikko. Gongen-zukuri is used as a general term for styles incorporating gongen features. See Yatsu-mune-zukuri A Popular Dictionary of Shinto (Brian Bocking) |
