Japanese traditional architecture, Hashirou

Some of the most beautiful elements of traditional Japanese architecture are the covered bridges (hashirou or hashidono in Japanese). Hashirou are sometimes just covered hallways connecting two buildings, shaped like a bridge, but the most beautiful and impressive hashirou are real bridges crossing garden ponds, like the one on this photo, from Heian Jingu, Kyoto.

Actually, this is one of the most famous Japanese covered bridges, because it once belonged to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The roof's role is to are protect against rain and snow and to create a viewing point for the visitors, so the Heian Jingu hashidono was built with wooden benches on both sides, incorporating a moon viewing pavilion in the middle.