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The cypress bark roof is a roofing method which uses cypress bark.
It is a traditional technique peculiar to Japan since ancient times, being a one-of-a-kind roofing method in the world. The cypress bark roofing is used with numerous cultural assets in Japan.
Material
Bark of standing timbers of cypress, 70 years old or older with sufficient diameter, is peeled and molded to become the roofing material.
When collecting cypress bark, since only the superficial part of the bark is peeled off of standing cypress without cutting down trees, it is said to be an environmentally friendly roofing method.
In recent years, however, there have been a few challenges, including a decreasing number of cypress trees that are large enough, as well as a decreasing number of craftspeople to collect cypress bark known as motokawa-shi.
History
The oldest recorded case of the cypress bark roof was the roofing various halls of Sofuku-ji Temple (Otsu City) (an abandoned temple) with cypress bark in 668.
It is said that the cypress bark roof was used for many buildings of Heijo-kyu Palace in the Nara Period.
At Heijo-kyu Palace the main buildings were tile-roofed, whereas the auxiliary buildings were covered with cypress bark roofs.
Since then, the cypress bark roof began to be used for residences of aristocrats, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines being considered the most prestigious examples of roofing techniques, including kokera-buki (roofing with thin wood shingles), thatching, and tiling.
It is thought that the technique that remains in existence today developed subsequent to the Heian Period.
Installation of Cypress Bark Roof
Lay cypress bark pieces and nail each shingle with bamboo nails, laying the next row of shingles on top of the ones that have been fixed, with a 1.2 cm overlap.
The cypress bark roof gives depth and an air of stateliness to a building while enhancing the appearance of the roof with an airy and graceful curved line.
Representative Buildings
The Main Hall of Izumo-taisha Shrine
Various halls of Itsukushima-jinja Shrine
The Front Shrine of Ogami-jinja Shrine
Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine
Kamowakeikazuchi-jinja Shrine
Kamomioya-jinja Shrine
The Main Hall and Front Shrine of Kibitsu-jinja Shrine
Shishinden (hall for state ceremonies) and Seiryoden of the Kyoto Imperial Palace
Kiyomizu-dera Temple
The Main Hall of Kinpusen-ji Temple
The Main Hall of Sumiyoshi-jinja Shrine
The Main Hall of Zenko-ji Temple
The Main Hall of Daihoon-ji Temple (Senbon Shakado hall)
Various halls of Yasaka-jinka Shrine
The five-storied pagoda at Muro-ji Temple