What degeta-zukuri is
Degeta-zukuri carries the beams out past the wall and sets a purlin across their ends, so the eaves project deeply without posts beneath them. The street frontage stays clear.
Machiya fronts use it. The Tsuruya Residence in Shizuoka Prefecture, from about 1884, is described as a shop and dwelling facing east onto the street, two storeys of timber 8.8 by 13.3 metres, Kirizuma-zukuri under sheet metal, with a projecting lattice at ground level and eaves carried this way at both storeys, its interior divided front to back with a Doma in front and two Zashiki behind.
Nagayamon use it too. The Yamano Residence gatehouse in Osaka Prefecture, from the Meiji period, is described as Irimoya-zukuri and pantiled, a long building of about 33 metres, its front eaves carried this way and sealed in Shikkui together with the Taruki, solidly and finely built, with high boarding, two projecting lattice windows and barred windows giving a varied front.
Sealing the eaves soffit in plaster is a fire measure. Deep eaves expose more timber, so the method often goes with Nuriya-zukuri.
Weight as a mark of standing
The Tomita Residence in Ibaraki Prefecture, from the early Meiji period, is described as Irimoya-zukuri and pantiled with boldly projecting eaves of this kind. The adjective points to the visual effect: deep eaves cast shadow and make a front look heavy.
The Yamada Residence gatehouse in Kyoto Prefecture, from the later Edo period, is described as having Musha-mado and horizontally barred windows in its outer wall, boarding at the base, and eaves of this kind finished in plaster, in what the entry calls an imposing frontage for a large gatehouse.
Another Japanese word names much the same construction. Shinkaiya in Tokyo, from the early Showa period, is described as having its upper eaves cantilevered in that manner with a pierced-board Kōran at the windows.
On site, look up under the eaves. Beam ends ranged in front of the wall with a purlin across them identify the method, and plaster carried over the soffit shows that fire was also in view.
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Registered tangible cultural properties (structures)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/toroku_yukei.html
- National Cultural Properties Database: Tsuruya Residence, projecting eaves beams at both storeys over a latticed shopfront
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009286
- National Cultural Properties Database: Yamano Residence gatehouse, its front eaves carried on projecting beams and sealed in plaster
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003118
- National Cultural Properties Database: Tomita Residence, nail covers bearing the domain lord's crest in a formal reception room
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014319
- National Cultural Properties Database: Yamada Residence gatehouse, with both vertically and horizontally barred windows
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008145
- National Cultural Properties Database: Shinkaiya, with a pierced-board railing at its upper windows
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003198
Last verified: 2026.09.10