Carpenters had traditionally classified temple architectural styles as wa-yo (Japanese style), tenjiku-yo (Indian style) and kara-yo (Chinese style), and these classifications continued to be used in architectural histories after the Meiji period.
大工の伝承では、寺院建築に和様・天竺様・唐様という区別が行われ、明治時代以降の建築史でも使用してきた。