The oldest roof style used in the Japanese traditional architecture is Kirizuma: a roof made simply from two sides connected at the ridge. Kirizuma can be translated as “cut out gable” and it indicates that seen from a side, the wall seems to be cut by the sides of the roof.

Kirizuma is also the simplest of the Japanese traditional architectural styles, often used for lower-class houses. However, on the main tower of a Japanese castle, if there are multiple floors, sometimes we can see multiple roofs styles, combined to create a unique design, as you can see in this photo of the Hikone castle. At the first floor, the lateral roofs are Kirizuma, while on the second floor we see the elegant and typical Japanese Karahafu.

Hikone Castle, Hikone

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Dezome-shiki, the New Year’s Parade of Fire Brigades