Urban Waves in the Past, the Roof Tile

Getting cooler day by day, it’s autumn here. Looking up to the evening sky framed in the shadow of buildings – especially the inky-black ceramic roof gives coherent tension and gentle tranquility to the vermilion tableau.

History of Roof in Japan

Once in Japan, the ceramic roof tile used to be equivalent to “Hongawara” which originally came from Korea. Basically it consists of two parts, the flat tile and the channel which are interconnected. The Hongawara roofing looks quite gorgeous and dignified, so you still see those at the top of the shrines and temples. Actually the tile was such an expensive material that it was only applied to the establishment buildings, temples, shrines, and fire-retardant warehouses. It is a revolution in the late 17th century that the invention of the “Sangawara” tile popularly covered the common people’s town house after the wooden board and the thatch. This was a transformed device which turned the two parts of ceramics into a single wavy plate. The material was less expensive and spread out all through Japanese cities, so it gave rhythmic tones to the town landscape as the phrase like “the waves of roofing”. So let’s have a look at the example in Kyoto.

The Shape and the Style

This is one of the variations of Sangawaras, called “Ichimonji” tile named after the straight edge. Meanwhile, I guess the eaves tile we usually see is “Manju” tile with a round bulge at one end. What’s the difference? The Ichimonji roofing seems more skill-demanding with accuracy and scrupulousness but it has been inevitable for the town house in Kyoto because the emphasis of the horizontal line gives the sense of unity to the townscape. I still see them in Kyoto even though traditional town houses are now declining. The Ichimonji tile has been surviving with the classy house. We would find an art world of crossing with horizontal and vertical bars in those traditional constructions.

At Garden Front

Let me show you some other usages of roof tiles which I found at the Daitokuji temple. The Daitokuji is a group of small Zen Buddhist temples. Some are open to the public and each of those has a fine stone and moss garden, and the assemblage space is also fantastic. I see it’s like a garden cosmos with elaborate cobblestones, pine tree colonnades and the solemn wall fence. I was so amused by this clay wall here.
I suppose the ceramic tiles had been fit in partly for reinforcement but mainly it would be for the amazing features. I love this asymmetric arrangement looking like a music score. What kind of music do you think they’d played at that time?
Also there is a roof tiled path in the garden. Have you seen that? It’s a number of roof tiles dug into the ground in a line setting up on the thin side. When you see the path you see the stream line of tile waves. It’s a kind of gardener’s techniques which appeals graphical amusement and a bit rustic taste. Maybe you will find some other examples in the garden don’t you? Or do you want to enjoy it on your own way? Well, here’s a tip for you. If you get one from somewhere like a housing demolition or so (maybe now at a DIY shop as well), you could convert it for a planter. Perhaps the channel tile is better to fill up the soil. The vegetation, I suppose, would be good with little flowers, grasses and natural seedling trees you can find at your local places, rather than horticultural super flowers.