gyoukaigan　凝灰岩

KEY WORD :　architecture / general terms

Tuff or tufa. Popularly called shoukouseki 松香石. A porous stone composed of volcanic ash or from the material loosened by the gradual disintegration of rock or rock debris formed from material deposited by waterways. It is soft, easy to shape, light and fire resistant. It was commonly used for making the slabs to cover the mounds made for the podii *kidan 基壇 on which temple or shrine buildings were erected. Mt. Futakami 二上 in Nara was the source of much of this rock until the mid-Heian period. Examples: Houryuuji *Kondou 法隆寺金堂 and *Gojuu-no-tou 五重塔 (late 7 to early 8c), Nara.

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