Ancient Japanese temples use wooden joints that defy physics

At the Yasukuni Shrine, the massive 16-meter torii gate stands as a masterpiece of joinery that seems to ignore the laws of structural tension. Instead of relying on metal bolts that would rust or snap under pressure, ancient Japanese architects used kanawa-tsugi, a technique of interlocking wooden joints. These hand-carved geometries allow the wood to expand and contract with the seasons, creating a flexible skeleton that can absorb the shock of an earthquake.