What is this? › Castles, houses & gardens
瓦Kawara (roof tiles)

Roof tiles are overlapping tiles designed mainly to keep out precipitation such as rain or snow, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as clay or slate. Later tiles have been made from materials such as concrete, glass, and plastic.
Roof tiles can be affixed by screws, nails, wire clips, or self-supporting lugs and interlocking designs. In desert or tropical climates tiles are sometimes installed directly on laths and battens, but in temperate climates tiles are typically installed atop an underlayment system to protect the roof against water intrusion.
Text from Wikipedia: Roof tiles — CC BY-SA 4.0. Read more on Wikipedia →


Japan Tourism Agency explanations
旅Try it yourself: Kawara (roof tiles)
Live prices and reviews from GetYourGuide. Many tours can be cancelled for free — check each listing.
Ad: we may earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Compare whether a rail pass saves money on your route before you buy tickets.
Check prices →Japan eSIM / mobile data
Ad: we may earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you.
問Questions visitors ask
What is Kawara (roof tiles)?
Roof tiles are overlapping tiles designed mainly to keep out precipitation such as rain or snow, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as clay or slate.
城Castles, houses & gardens
Open the scanner and compare →
Tenshu天守
Ishigaki石垣
Yagura櫓
Hori堀
Japanese castles日本の城
Japanese gardens日本庭園
Shakkei借景
Roji露地
Chashitsu茶室
Tokonoma床の間
Tatami畳
Shōji障子