逆さか柱ばしら

noun

inverted pillar; pillar placed upside down

In traditional Japanese carpentry and folklore, a wooden pillar intentionally or accidentally set with its base pointing upward, believed to bring bad luck or ominous phenomena.

• 古ふるい民みん家かで逆さか柱ばしらを見みつけたら、縁えん起ぎが悪わるいと言いわれる。

  If you find an inverted pillar in an old house, it is said to be unlucky.

• 逆さか柱ばしらは、木きの上じょう下げを逆さかにして立たてた柱はしらのことだ。

  A sakabashira is a pillar that has been erected with its top and bottom reversed.

noun

intentionally inverted pillar; pillar inverted to avoid perfection

A deliberate practice in traditional Japanese architecture where one pillar is placed upside down to introduce imperfection, based on the belief that perfection invites misfortune or is inauspicious.

• わざと逆さか柱ばしらを入いれることで、建たて物ものに完かん全ぜんを求もとめないという考かんがえ方かたがある。

  There is a concept of not striving for perfection in a building by intentionally including an inverted pillar.

• 神じん社じゃ建けん築ちくでは、逆さか柱ばしらを一いっ本ぽんだけ使つかうことがあると聞きいた。

  I heard that in shrine architecture, they sometimes use just one inverted pillar.