Japanese traditional architecture, Hogyo-yane

Shaped like a pyramid, Hogyo-yane is one of the types of roofs used in the Japanese traditional architecture, especially for the Buddhist constructions. When used for religious purposes, it has on top a parallelepipedic object called roban, with a double role, decorative and spiritual.

One of the most beautiful examples I have seen so far is the one in the photo, taken at the Okunoin Mao-den on Mount Kurama, Kyoto, a beautiful miniature building constructed in the middle of the magical forest, where the roban is topped by a sacred gem (houju) with the power to ward off evil spirits.