Chigi (architecture)

Chigi (千木, 鎮木, 知木, 知疑), Okichigi (置千木) or Higi (氷木) are forked roof finials found in Japanese and Shinto architecture.

Today, chigi and katsuogi are used exclusively on Shinto buildings and distinguish them from other religious structures, such as Buddhist temples in Japan.

[3] Measurements for chigi were mentioned in an early document, the Taishinpō Enryaku Gishikichō (太神宝延暦儀式帳), written in 804 AD.

However, the only certain fact is that chigi were originally a working part of the structure, but as building techniques improved, their function was lost and they were left as decorations.

In the 17th to 19th centuries, the legal code dictated how many chigi were allowed on building roofs in accordance with the owner's social rank.

Chigi may be built directly into the roof as part of the structure, or simply attached and crossed over the gable as an ornament.