Traditional Japanese architecture is characterized by wooden single-storey structures. Lacking a tradition of cave dwellings and stone walls, it was natural for the nation to develop this style. The traditional structure has not changed during recorded history, remaining intact after Buddhist architecture entered Japan from China and the Korean Peninsula in the mid-6th century. Even shrine architecture - widely regarded as having been stimulated by Buddhist architecture - retains the typical wooden single-storey structure.
Wooden construction basically combines posts and beams. If a large building is involved, the structure spreads on its horizontal axis by joining single-storey rooms. Although a massive structure is typically dark inside and is thus not always suited to some human activities, Japanese architectural methods cleverly allow light and breeze to penetrate: by opening to the outside, they link a building's interior with its garden.