A style of residence which developed during the Heian period among the imperial family and aristocracy. A typical shinden style residence of a high-ranking aristocrat was built on a square lot, 121 meters on a side and surrounded by an earthen wall, and had a complex of buildings centered on the southward-facing main hall (shinden), flanked by side buildings (tainoya) and connecting passageways (chūmonrō), plus an open space, south of the shinden, beyond which the garden was built centered on a pond. The term shindenzukuri was first used in Kaoku zakkō, published in 1842.
Japanese Garden Dictionary: A Glossary for Japanese Gardens and Their History
(C) 2010 by Ono Kenkichi and Walter Edwards. All rights reserved.
