Our Story
OUR STORY
What an onigawara is, why it has watched over Japan for 1,400 years,
and the masters across Japan whose work fills this shop.
The Craft — What is Onigawara?
Onigawara — “demon tiles” — are the sculpted tiles set at the ends of roof ridges on temples, shrines, castles and samurai houses. The demon’s face is there to frighten away evil and disaster. Around it you will find waves (against fire and flood), peaches (health and long life), and family crests — each motif a small prayer in clay.
For most of their history, kawara roofs were forbidden to ordinary people. They belonged to sacred and noble architecture. Only in the last few centuries did the guardian come down from the temple roof — and today, in smaller form, it can watch over a front door anywhere in the world.
The Method — 1,400 Years of Ibushi
Our pieces are made the old way: shaped by hand with bamboo tools, dried, fired, and then smoked — the ibushi method. In the smoke, carbon seals itself into the clay and the surface turns a deep silver-black. There is no paint and no glaze doing that work; the colour is the fire, remembered.
It is slow, and it cannot be rushed. That is rather the point.
The Craftsmen Behind the Work
Only the best craftsmen in Japan. Only the works of craftsmen who worked on many national-treasure shrines and temples in Kyoto are sold in this shop — pieces shaped with bamboo tools and the craftsman’s own hands, fired and smoked by the ibushi method, a secret manufacturing method that has inherited the technology for 1,400 years and that only a few people in Japan still command.
And those masters are few: the onishi — Japan’s master onigawara craftsmen — number only 80 in the whole world. Onigawara Market is the specialty shop where their work can be bought: pieces from Kyoto, Sanshu, Awaji and beyond, each region with its own clay, face and character, gathered into one collection.
That is what “authorized specialty shop” means to us: not the biggest selection — the most carefully chosen one.
The Making
1 · Shape — Clay is kneaded and shaped by hand with bamboo tools — the face, the fangs, the curls, one piece at a time.
2 · Dry — Shaped pieces dry slowly before firing; rushing cracks the clay.
3 · Ibushi firing — In the kiln, smoke seals carbon into the clay — the ibushi silver. No paint; the colour is the fire itself.
4 · To the world — Finished pieces are checked, packed and shipped from Kyoto — to roofs, doors and shelves worldwide.
Masters Across Japan
The onishi — master onigawara craftsmen — number only 80 in the whole world. Their regions, their clays, their faces — gathered into one specialty shop.
Kyoto — Home of Onigawara Market
Sanshu — Aichi Prefecture
Awaji — Hyogo Prefecture
Sekishu — Shimane Prefecture
About This Shop
The shop’s own introduction, as written on onikoubou.com.
This shop specializes in traditional Japanese roof tile products “ONIGAWARA -ogre tile-”. It was made by the clay of the Japanese roof tile. It has been decorated the top of the roof of the temple and Japanese traditional house as the amulet from ancient times.
“KAWARA” is the Japanese roof tile which have protected temples, houses for 1400 years old, (from Heian period). It was not allowed to use KAWARA at Japanese ordinary people, it was only used at formal architecture like shrines, temples, noble houses and “SAMURAI” houses until Edo period (about 400 years ago).
If you will come Japan, please see on the top of roof tile of temple, you can see many kind of animals and sculptures like Ogre, figure of water, guardian lion and peach etc.. They have meanings individually and they are influenced by Buddhism. Ogre tile and guardian lion: protect from evil sprits. Figure of water: protect from flood and fire. Peach: have a happy and long life with wellness etc...
There are many culture everywhere in Japan. It has unique characteristics that change according to each region. We introduce Ogre tile this time. This ogre tile was made by Japanese roof tile craftman using the tool of bamboo and his hands. We bake it at the kiln with ogre tile which was decorated in Kyoto temple and made about 300 years ago.
When you decorate at entrance in your house, Ogre tile protect you. Also, your livingroom will be artistically and gorgeous. Decorate it in various places such as interiors, shops, and gardens. It changes into a quiet and mysterious space like Japan at once. We provide such an environment and user experience.
Japanese roof tiles are a roofing material. It is made by a method unique to Japan called Ibushi. This is a secret manufacturing method that has inherited the technology for 1400 years, and only a few people in Japan come.
Only the best craftsmen in Japan. Only the works of craftsmen who worked on many national treasure shrines and temples in Kyoto are sold. In addition, the craftsman and Yu’s design tile, the first tile designer in Japan, are also on sale.
From the Site’s Columns
Read more in our columns: About Kawara? · About ONIGAWARA
Nationally Certified Crafts — This mark is attached to crafts that are nationally or prefecturally certified. It is like a proof sent only to industries that have contributed over the years through culture and technology. Roof tiles have also been reviewed in recent years and have acquired national certification marks in various places.