Design Method of Zen-style Bracket Sets Recorded in the Japanese Carpentry Manual Kamakura Zoei Myomoku (Part 1): A Comparative Study with the Chinese Yingzao Fashi

Through comparison with the traditional Chinese manual Yingzao fashi, this paper analyzes the composition and design methods of Zen-style bracket sets described in the Kamakura zoei myomoku, a technical document that records the activities of the Kawachi family of temple carpenters at Kenchoji in Kamakura, Japan, from the late medieval period to the early modern period. As a result, the paper suggests that there were some similarities between Chinese and Japanese modular design, which both used the cross-section of a bracket as the basic unit; while other techniques like the use of a baseline for equal spacing and the rafter size as the basic unit are considered to be Japanese innovations.