Aki Japan Tour Guide

Traditional Japanese architecture is characterized by roofs with various designs of gables.
This article covers the unique Japanese gable called Kara-hafu.

Roofs and gables in Japanese architecture

Japan’s average annual precipitation is almost twice that of the world, making it one of the world’s rainy countries.
Traditional Japanese architecture features a large roof with deep eaves.

Hafu originally refers to gables or bargeboards. There are some types of hafu: simple triangular-shaped Kiritsuma-hafu and Irimoya-hafu, decorative Chidori-hafu placed on a roof, bow-shaped gorgeous Kara-hafu.
Let’s focus on the last one, Kara-hafu, unique to Japan.

Origin of Kara-hafu

Kara-hafu is sometimes thought to be of Chinese origin. Because the term Kara usually means China. However, Kara-hafu originated in Japan, dating back to the Heian period (794 – 1192).
The Japanese valued advanced things Chinese and called those Kara-mono. They often prefixed Kara to the name of the things novel.

Sometimes, I find such words, “Chinese Gate” or “Chinese-style Gate,” as the translation of Kara-mon featuring Kara-hafu in an English explanation of temple and castle buildings. Those are not appropriate as an explanation for Kara-mon.

Spread of Kara-hafu

Kara-hafu has been used in temples, castles, aristocrats’ and samurai residences since the Kamakura period (1192 – 1333) due to its high decorativeness and quality. It can be seen in many existing traditional buildings today.

In the words of an architectural historian, Terunobu Fujimori, the times when the Kara-hafu was particularly popular are as follows.
“As you can easily predict, there is only one era in which people liked flashy and gorgeous styles rare in Japan. It was the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573 – 1603) when samurai powers Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi did whatever they wanted in fancy Azuchi and Jurakudai Castles, respectively.”

In the Edo period (1603 – 1867) following the Azuchi-Momoyama period, Kara-hafu was often used in monumental buildings such as Nikko Toshogu and prestigious temples and shrines.

You can see an example of the rare use of Kara-hafu at Shurijo Castle in Okinawa.
At first glance, Shurijo Castle resembles the Forbidden City in China. However, the main building has a great Kara-hafu in front, featuring a Japanese-style design. From that, Kara-hafu can be seen as a significant design element of Japanese architecture.

Unfortunately, the main building of Shrijo Castle burned down in 2019, which was a reproduction based on the design of the old building completed in 1715 and lost in WWII.

Kara-hafu in modern times

Kara-hafu has been used in pre-modern times and today as a significant motif of Japanese roofs. For example, Kara-hafu was adopted in the second Kabukza Theater building completed in the modern Meiji period (1867 – 1911) and has been handed down today.
Kengo Kuma, a world-renowned architect, respected the old designs of the Kabukiza Theater buildings. He used Kara-hafu in the design of the 5th Kabukiza Theater in 2013.

Other examples are found in the facades in public sento bathhouses rebuilt after the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) in Tokyo. Those bathhouses with striking appearance are called the Miya-gata or Miya-zukuri sento, meaning court or temple styles bathhouses.

In the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, Koganei City, Tokyo, there is an old public bathhouse named Kodakara-yu. The bathhouse is said to be one of the models of the Abura-ya bathhouse in Studio Ghibli’s animated film, Spirited Away.

Tokyo’s Miya-gata sento are on the verge of extinction, but you may find some that remain in the city.

There are three buildings with distinctive towers near Yokohama Port: Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building, Yokohama Customs Headquarters Building, and Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall, known as King, Queen, and Jack, respectively, are called “Yokohama Three Towers” and familiar with the people.

The name “Yokohama Three Towers” derives from a tradition of foreign sailors who visited Yokohama in the early Showa Period (the 1930s). They nicknamed the buildings as landmarks comparing each building to a playing card.

There is an urban legend, “If you visit all three spots where you can see the three towers, your wish will come true,” called “Yokohama Three Towers Story.”

A metal plate indicating the location is placed directly across the Kanagawa Prefectural Office Main Building on Nihon-Odori boulevard, one of the three spots.
The other two spots are in the Osanbashi Pier and Red Brick Warehouse Park.

Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall – Jack

Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall is a representative red brick building of Yokohama, with the clock tower known as the nickname Jack, one of the “Yokohama Three Towers.”

The building was built as a public hall in 1917, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Yokohama’s port opening.

While experiencing the hardships of the Great Kanto Earthquake and requisition of the US military after the Second World War, the public hall has been restored many times and used with the locals’ love for it.

The attraction of the building is not only the appearance but also the interior, including the beautiful stained glasses conveying the history of Yokohama.

Yokohama Customs Headquarters Building – Queen

Yokohama Customs Headquarters Building, known for its tower with the Islamic style dome nicknamed Queen’s Tower, is Yokohama’s representative building built in the early Showa Period.

Using modernist architectural ideas that value functional designs, the building features various beautiful motifs such as Romanesque, Greek Classicism, and Islamic styles.

It’s a “Yokohama City Certified Historic Building,” requisitioned by GHQ after World War II and used as the office for General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.

Deserving the nickname Queen, the graceful building stands on the shores of Yokohama Port, with the pretty blue-green domed tower, various decorations, and the soft texture created by the cream-colored exterior.

Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building – King

Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building, known as the nickname King, one of the Yokohama Three Towers, is the 4th generation building of the Kanagawa Prefectural Office.

That reinforced concrete building with excellent earthquake and fire resistance was completed in 1928 after the demolition of the 3rd one damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake.

In the design competition, a rule required “the design that makes the building easy to be recognized from ships arriving and leaving Yokohama,” resulting in the idea of using a tower with a five-storied pagoda as a motif.
The design pioneered “Teikan Style,” literally meaning the imperial crown style, followed by many public buildings.

The building features Japanese and Western tastes, such as the Frank Lloyd Wright and the art deco designs popular at that time, giving a graceful impression.
With the kingly air, Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building is a landmark of Yokohama.

The charm of Yokohama

The charm of Yokohama lies in the exotic cityscape, a bit different from the other cities in Japan.
One of the elements is the modern architecture appearing in ordinary streets, with distinctive Western and Japanese designs, such as British-style brick buildings, classical banks, and churches with various motifs. Furthermore, the remains of the former foreign settlement are tucked in the streets.
By visiting them, your memories of Yokohama will be even more impressive.

Treasure trove of modern architecture

Witnesses to Yokohama’s history

Those precious buildings are witnesses of the town’s history, built along with Yokohama’s development.
Not only has a beautiful appearance, but exciting stories related to the background of the time, thoughts of the people involved in the construction, and memories of the people who used the structure.
Once you know the stories, the scenery of the buildings and surroundings will become more and more attractive.

Tracing the memories of the city while visiting the architecture