One of the unique features in the history, of buildings in Japan appearing in and around the latter half of the 17th century is the Koshi, a wooden grille, also called the Monomi, a viewing stand. It was built in the streetfront walls (Tuiji) of the residences of certain high-ranking Imperial Court, aristocrat,s (Kuge) in Kyoto. The Koshi was used as a screened vantage point through which mostly the women of the aristocrats' household could watch the commoners pass by and call on the street performers to display their art. Today, various types of Koshi or Monomi belonging to fourteen residences can be seen in a diary written by Mujohoin, the daughter of (Retired) Emperor Go-Mizuno-o. This paper is an attempt to c1assify their architectural designs in relation to the social syst,ems that prevailed in those days. It also discusses aristocrats' daily life and entertainment in early modern Japan.
