Karahafu Gable 犬山城 唐破風（からはふ）

Official explanation

The gables (karahafu) on the north and south facades of Inuyama Castle are among its most distinguishing features. The undulating curves resemble a drawn bow ready to release an arrow. Although “kara” can be translated as “Chinese” and perhaps indicates a Chinese provenance, gables of this shape can be found throughout East Asia. In Japan, they are often found on castles, Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines.

It is thought that the gables were added during the expansion by Naruse Masanari (1567–1625) when he added the third and fourth floors during his service as lord of the castle. The gables were meant to add an element of prestige to the building and to be a symbol of authority.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.