Hi Barbara,
>
> Please understand that there is no evidence (at least that I know
of) that akunoya were used for anything other than garden parties.
Most especially, people did not sleep in them. And even more
especially, there is little evidence that they were taken to battles.
The Japanese had panelized wooden houses and other buildings which
were at times moved from one place to another.
>
You are right. There is very little evidence of the use of Japanese
using tents at all - one way or the other - either in books, or
scrolls or T.V or film. However, I find it somewhat hard to believe
that they "never" slept in their tents or take them to use
as "command posts". In my years of studying history from various
parts of the world, I've found that just because there
isn't "evidence" that a particular thing was done, it more often than
not doesn't mean that it wasn't done either. It has also been very
interesting to note that things that were spouted as "fact" twenty
years ago, are sometimes proven to be "fiction". It's one of the
reasons why I LOVE history!
I belong to a group of historical enthusiasts...Not the SCA....and I
intend to set up a Japanese Feudal Age encampment that is as accurate
as possible. (I will probably start out small, and expand as i go.) I
and the other members in my household, need a place out of the sun
and weather (since where I live is humid and rainy in the summer -
kind of like Japan.). I also need a place that will allow me to
protect weaponry and yoroi (as well as hide other non-historical
period stuff like cots and sleeping bags when necessary.) from prying
eyes, inquistive hands and those same weather elements.
Lastly, when the public comes through the encampment, I want them to
say "oooh!" and "Ahhhh!". When they ask questions, they'll get the
information like you just gave me regarding the use of the akunoya.
When they leave for the day, and the site closes down to the public,
I need a place to lay my head and prepare for the next day. Though
perhaps historically inaccurate, I'll probably be sleeping in the
akunoya out of convenience and neccessity. (I don't think the local
Baptist church would take kindly to my riding up in full yoroi and
kicking them out so I have a place for me and my samurai to stay ;-
) )
> As for carports. I understand the allure of using carports.
However, you should probably come up with simple box beam type posts
to enclose the aluminium poles. Covering them with wood grain contact
paper does little to disguise their essential wrongness.j Another
problem with carport construction is that the vertical supports may
not really be in the right places to replicate what we know of
akunoya from iconographic evidence. If you are more industrious, why
not buy lumber and make the frame yourself?
>
I agree with you - in principle - that using a carport is not very
palatable. Unfortunately, we have to live in today's day and age and
I have to be concerned with ease of set up and take down,
transportability, structural integrity and safety. Though I like the
idea of using real lumber for the framework, I don't have the luxury
of having a team of skilled Japanese carpenters who can produce
historically accurate joinery or the desire to transport the weight
of the frame work alone. (The truck I use to transport my encampment
will only hold so much in both cubic space and in weight and I don't
even want to go into the logistical challenges that are added when I
bring the horses and all of their accoutrements.)
Rest assured, that I will do a very good job of "covering" the poles
and they will look just like wood (from far away). I was originally
thinking of using bamboo to cover the metal poles. (I have alot of it
available and could hollow it out to cover the poles.) BUT Tony said
that was definitely "out" so I'm thinking of other ways to cover the
poles to make them look like "wood framing".
I'll also look closely at the spacing of the vertical supports that
hold up the top. (Along with the correct width of the fabric.)
I was hoping to have discussions like this and welcome your insight
and experience. If you have any pictures or drawings of what that
joinery looked like, I'd appreciate it. If you have access to book
titles so I have research documentation to support my endeavors,
that's even better. Anything that will add to the great information
available on Tony's site would be helpful.
Mike