Changes

Two "studies" (''shoin''), also used as audience halls, were located in the western part of the ''honmaru''. Known as the ''shiroshoin'' ("white study") and ''kuroshoin'' ("black study"), they lay on either side of an open garden (''nakaniwa''). The ''shiroshoin'', to the north of the ''ôhiroma'', was somewhat closer to the ''genkan'' than the ''kuroshoin'', and was used for more public/official meetings, while the ''kuroshoin'', located to the north of the ''shiroshoin'', deeper into the interior of the complex, was used for meetings on more everyday matters. The ''shiroshoin'', constructed in white wood, was divided into several rooms including the ''Teikan-no-ma'', covering in total around 300 tatami in area. The ''kuroshoin'', constructed in black lacquered wood, was similarly divided into several rooms, and covered a somewhat smaller 190 or so.<ref>Arai Hakuseki, Joyce Ackroyd (trans.), ''Told Round a Brushwood Fire'', University of Tokyo Press (1979), 289n38.; Fukai, 32-33.</ref>

Two "studies" (''shoin''), also used as audience halls, were located in the western part of the ''honmaru''. Known as the ''shiroshoin'' ("white study") and ''kuroshoin'' ("black study"), they lay on either side of an open garden (''nakaniwa''). The ''shiroshoin'', to the north of the ''ôhiroma'', was somewhat closer to the ''genkan'' than the ''kuroshoin'', and was used for more public/official meetings, while the ''kuroshoin'', located to the north of the ''shiroshoin'', deeper into the interior of the complex, was used for meetings on more everyday matters. The ''shiroshoin'', constructed in white wood, was divided into several rooms including the ''Teikan-no-ma'', covering in total around 300 tatami in area. The ''kuroshoin'', constructed in black lacquered wood, was similarly divided into several rooms, and covered a somewhat smaller 190 or so.<ref>Arai Hakuseki, Joyce Ackroyd (trans.), ''Told Round a Brushwood Fire'', University of Tokyo Press (1979), 289n38.; Fukai, 32-33.</ref>

The ''ôhiroma'' contained three platforms of different heights, called ''dan'', allowing the shogun to sit not only at a distance from his formal visitors, but also physically above them. These were arranged from north to south, with the shogun sitting in the north, facing south, much as the Chinese emperor did at [[Forbidden City|imperial palaces in China]]. Only the highest-ranking retainers and guests were permitted to sit within the ''ôhiroma'', and then only in certain ''dan'', in accordance with their rank. Wrapping around an inner garden, and thus forming a U-shape with the three ''dan'', were three antechambers, known respectively as the ''ni-'', ''san-'', and ''yon-no-ma''. The ''shiroshoin'' was arranged similarly, though on a smaller scale, with two ''dan'', two audience rooms, and two antechambers.<ref>Mitani, xxv.</ref> The far north wall of the Ôhiroma was adorned with a large painting of a pine tree, which would have appeared to canopy the shogun as he sat there in the upper ''dan''; the pine, being long-lived and evergreen, was meant to represent the eternal power of the shogunate. To the shogun's left (northeast corner of the hall) was a small set of doors, where he and others would enter and exit the room, as well as a small ''tokonoma'' filled with ''chigaidana'' for displaying various objects of seasonal or occasional significance. These doors were inconspicuously painted with birds sleeping on branches of ''nanten'' (nandina) flowers; ''nanten'' puns on 「難転」　(''nanten'', "turning away danger"), while the sleeping birds represent peace, such as the shogunate enforced throughout the realm.<ref>Timon Screech, ''Obtaining Images'', University of Hawaii Press (2012), 39-40, 45.</ref>  

The ''ôhiroma'' contained three platforms of different heights, called ''dan'', allowing the shogun to sit not only at a distance from his formal visitors, but also physically above them. These were arranged from north to south, with the shogun sitting in the north, facing south, much as the Chinese emperor did at [[Forbidden City|imperial palaces in China]]. Only the highest-ranking retainers and guests were permitted to sit within the ''ôhiroma'', and then only in certain ''dan'', in accordance with their rank. Wrapping around an inner garden, and thus forming a U-shape with the three ''dan'', were three antechambers, known respectively as the ''ni-'', ''san-'', and ''yon-no-ma''. The ''shiroshoin'' was arranged similarly, though on a smaller scale, with two ''dan'', two audience rooms, and two antechambers.<ref>Mitani, xxv.</ref> The far north wall of the Ôhiroma was adorned with a large painting of a pine tree, which would have appeared to canopy the shogun as he sat there in the upper ''dan''; the pine, being long-lived and evergreen, was meant to represent the eternal power of the shogunate. To the shogun's left (northeast corner of the hall) was a small set of doors, where he and others would enter and exit the room, as well as a small ''tokonoma'' filled with ''chigaidana'' for displaying various objects of seasonal or occasional significance. These doors were inconspicuously painted with birds sleeping on branches of ''nanten'' (nandina) flowers; ''nanten'' puns on 「難転」　(''nanten'', "turning away danger"), while the sleeping birds represent peace, such as the shogunate enforced throughout the realm.<ref>Timon Screech, ''Obtaining Images'', University of Hawaii Press (2012), 39-40, 45.</ref>