noun
burdock piling; stone wall technique with small faces outward
A traditional Japanese stone wall construction method where stones are placed with their smallest surfaces facing outward, resembling the way burdock roots are bundled. Primarily used in castle walls and historical masonry.
この城の石垣は牛蒡積みで築かれている。
The stone walls of this castle are built using the burdock piling technique.
牛蒡積みは、石の小口を外側に向けて積む工法です。
Burdock piling is a construction method where stones are stacked with their smallest faces outward.
The term combines 牛蒡 (burdock) and 積み (piling), referring to the resemblance between the way stones are stacked with small ends outward and the way burdock roots are traditionally bundled.