Karahafu

is a type of curved gable found in Japanese architecture. It is used on Japanese castles, Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines. Roofing materials such as tile and bark may be used as coverings. The face beneath the gable may be flush with the wall below, or it may terminate on a lower roof.

History

Although ''kara'' (唐) can be translated as meaning "China" or "Tang", this type of roof with undulating bargeboards is an invention of Japanese carpenters in the late Heian period.karahafu　唐破風
" JAANUS. Retrieved on May 30, 2009. It was named thus because the word ''kara'' could also mean "noble" or "elegant", and was often added to names of objects considered grand or intricate regardless of origin.
. JAANUS. Retrieved on June 12, 2009. The ''karahafu'' developed during the Heian period and is shown in picture scrolls to decorate gates, corridors, and palanquins. The first known depiction of a ''karahafu'' appears on a miniature shrine (') in Shōryoin shrine at Hōryū-ji in Nara.

The ''karahafu'' and its building style (''karahafu-zukuri'') became increasingly popular during the Kamakura and Muromachi period, when Japan witnessed a new wave of influences from the Asian continent. During the Kamakura period, Zen Buddhism spread to Japan and the ''karahafu'' was employed in many Zen temples.

Initially, the ''karahafu'' was used only in temples and aristocratic gateways, but starting from the beginning of the Azuchi–Momoyama period, it became an important architectural element in the construction of a ''daimyō''s mansions and castles. The ''daimyōs gateway with a ''karahafu'' roof was reserved for the ''shōgun'' during his ''onari'' visits to the retainer, or for the reception of the emperor at shogunate establishments. A structure associated with these social connections naturally imparted special meaning.

Gates with a ''karahafu'' roof, the ''karamon'' (''mon'' meaning "gate"), became a means to proclaim the prestige of a building and functioned as a symbol of both religious and secular architecture. In the Tokugawa shogunate, the ''karamon'' gates were a powerful symbol of authority reflected in architecture.Coaldrake (1996), 197

Images

Image:Nikko Toshogu Suibansha-M8471.jpg, ''Karahafu'' on a Chōzuya pavilion at Nikkō Tōshō-gū
Image:Nijo Castle Karamon1.JPG, ''Karamon'' gate at Nijō Castle
Image:Himeji Castle M4690.jpg, Three ''karahafu'' gables at Himeji Castle
Image:Matsunoo Shrine.jpg, Matsunoo Taisha
Image:Naha Shuri Castle16s5s3200.jpg, Shuri Castle in Okinawa
Image:Tainan Taiwan Martial-Art-Hall Butokuden-01.jpg, Tainan Butokuden in Tainan, Taiwan.
Image:TheAdministrationOfficeOfTouyanMartyrsShrine_1.jpg, Taoyuan Shinto shrine in Taiwan.
Image:演武場-1.jpg, Butokuden in Pingtung, Taiwan.
Image:武德殿(今).JPG, Butokuden in Kaoshiung, Taiwan.
Image:臺北西本願寺樹心會館.jpg, ''Karahafu''on administrative office of Nishi Hongan-ji in Taipei, Taiwan.

See also

*Japanese architecture
*Japanese castle
* List of roof shapes

Notes

References

*Coaldrake, William. (1996). ''Architecture and Authority in Japan''. London/New York: Routledge. .
*Sarvimaki Marja. (2000). ''Structures, Symbols and Meanings: Chinese and Korean Influence on Japanese Architecture''. Helsinki University of Technology, Department of Architecture. .
*Sarvimaki Marja. (2003).
Layouts and Layers: Spatial Arrangements in Japan and Korea
. ''Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies'', Volume 3, No. 2. Retrieved on May 30, 2009.
*Parent, Mary Neighbour. (2003).
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
'.

{{Shinto shrine

Japanese architectural features
Roofs