![]() ![]() ^, Nijo Castle under "Kyoto Travel: Nijo Castle".^ A-Z Animals, "Uguisu" under "Animals". ![]() ^ Mysterious Japan, nightingale Floor: Kyoto Japan.Together this means "the sound of a Nightingale from the stretching/swelling/straining ". The latter segment bari ( 張り) comes from haru ( 張る), meaning "to stretch". Uguisu ( 鶯 or 鴬) refers to the Japanese bush warbler. The English name "nightingale" refers to the Japanese bush warbler, or uguisu, which is a common songbird in Japan. Legend has it that the squeaking floors were used as a security device, assuring that none could sneak through the corridors undetected. ![]() An information sign in Nijō castle states that "The singing sound is not actually intentional, stemming rather from the movement of nails against clumps in the floor caused by wear and tear over the years". It seems that, at least initially, the effect arose by chance. ![]() It is unclear if the design was intentional. Dry boards naturally creak under pressure, but these floors were built in a way that the flooring nails rub against a jacket or clamp, causing chirping noises. These floors were used in the hallways of some temples and palaces, the most famous example being Nijō Castle, in Kyoto, Japan.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |