Karahafu

Although kara (唐) can be translated as meaning "China" or "Tang", this type of roof with undulating bargeboards is an invention of Japanese carpenters in the late Heian period.

[2] The karahafu developed during the Heian period and is shown in picture scrolls to decorate gates, corridors, and palanquins.

[1] The karahafu and its building style (karahafu-zukuri) became increasingly popular during the Kamakura and Muromachi period, when Japan witnessed a new wave of influences from the Asian continent.

Initially, the karahafu was used only in temples and aristocratic gateways, but starting from the beginning of the Azuchi–Momoyama period, it became an important architectural element in the construction of a daimyō's mansions and castles.

The daimyō's gateway with a karahafu roof was reserved for the shōgun during his onari visits to the retainer, or for the reception of the emperor at shogunate establishments.