The band of lotus petals *renji 蓮子 which encircles the seed pod *…

Often abbreviated kake domoe 掛巴. The semi-cylindrical eave-end cover tiles, noki kakedomoe marugawara…

A common term for the broad, concave eave-end pendant tiles that are placed along the gable overhang *…

A general term for tiles used to cover the bargeboard *hafu 破風 on a gable roof *…

Also kanimendo 蟹面戸. Lit. crab filler tile. A crab-shaped tile used to cover the gap created by the junction of two…

Roof tiles stacked up on the ridge of a temple or castle roof. Also called *…

Lit. arabesque roof tile. Also *hanahiragawara 端平瓦.

1…

Coping tiles. Tiles used to cover the top of a fence or wall to prevent weathering. The fences may be made of wood, bamboo…

Lit. tile. The roofing material made of fired clay introduced to Japan from Korea (Paekche Kingdom, Jp: *…

Also kawarabuki yane 瓦葺屋根, kawarayane 瓦屋根. Tile roofing. A roof covered with fired clay tiles usually…

A craftsman who tiles roofs, especially in the area of Kawachinagano 河内長野, and in the vicinity of Osaka.

Also pronounced kawarabisashi. A tiled pent roof. The term is especially common in Hyōgo Prefecture where a smaller…

A floor that consists of tiles placed over hard-pack earthen floor, especially common in Zen temples. When the tiles are set…

Lit. the tail of a tile. The tail or upper end of a broad concave roof tile *…

Nails used to secure broad concave tiles *hiragawara 平瓦 and semi-…

Lit. roof tiles that wrap around. Roof tiles used to cover the ridge of a farmhouse with a thatched roof, or a merchant's…

A tiled ridge on the roof of thatched vernacular houses *minka 民家. …

A ceremony to celebrate the completion of a tiled roof in the area of Ōita City, Ōita Prefecture. The senior craftsman, …

1　A structure with a tile roof. See *kawarabuki 瓦葺.

Roofing material made of fired clay tiles, first introduced with the advent of Buddhism from the Paekche Kingdom (Jp: *…

1　A tile seat. A long timber rail on the sheathing which covers the rafters and eave support of a roof. The…

Lit. sword tip motif. Also kentomoemon noki hiragawara 剣巴文軒平瓦. Also kenbishimon 剣菱文. The pendant *…

Also called *kake domoegawara 掛巴瓦; *…

Also pronounced kogawara. Wooden strips shaped to resemble traditional tile roofing *…

A stylized chrysanthemum pattern derived from the imperial crest used on the pendant *gatō…

Also called kikumaru 菊丸, kikumarugawara 菊丸瓦, or kogiku 小菊. A tile decorated with a…

A perfectly balanced design around a symmetrical central motif. A type of arabesque found on the pendants *…

Also called komarugawara 小丸瓦. Eave-end, semi-cylindrical tiles *…

Also called sen kyoshimon 線鋸歯文. Saw-tooth pattern. Kyoshimon includes the zigzag pattern *…

Lit. "jewelled edge."

1　The tip on the rear, narrow end of a half-round roof tile *…

A decorative motif used on the roof of a Japanese building. It consisted of a series of single petals with one leaf seedling…

A stylized lotus flower motif with eight petals. Although it is a relatively simple arrangement, unlike the *…

The valley or trough that forms when two sloping roofs meet.

1　A generic term for roof tiles used in the valley of a roof. Valleys are formed when the ridges of two…

Also called *mendo 面戸. The gap along both sides of the valley *…

A rafter pendant tile. A small tile formed to fit the shape of the cut end of a rafter *…

Also called tomebuta 留蓋; amabutagawara 雨蓋瓦; sumibutagawara 隅蓋瓦. A cover tile, usually…

Also nokitomoe 軒巴, *nokidomoegawara 軒巴瓦. A very…

1　Also tomoe 巴. A pattern of one or more curled tadpole shapes inside a circle. The pattern is…

Also tonehira 利根平, 刀根平.
The name given to the second of a pair of tiles composed of a semi-cylindrical tile *…

Also called tonemaru 利根丸, 刀根丸, onigiwa marugawara 鬼際丸瓦. This occurs when there is a drooping verge *…

Also written 鳥伏間. Also called toriyasumi 鳥休 (bird rest) or suzumegawara 雀瓦. A cylindrical bird perch tile…

A barrel shape or cylindrical shape. Example: *marugawara 丸瓦…

Also called *fusumagawara 伏間瓦. Lit. "dike tile." A slightly…