Japanese traditional architecture, Samurai residence audience hall

The social structure of the medieval Japan was based on social classes. Also, the members of the same class were further separated by ranks and strict etiquette rules, and this separation is obvious even in the traditional architecture.

Photographed here is the audience hall of the house of a high-ranking samurai, close to the Kokura castle. The hall is divided in three rooms, one for the lord, one for the high-ranking samurai and one for the lower ranking samurai. And the lower the rank was, the farther from the lord was the seating...