Ridge - Mune

This refers to the top of a roof (excluding flat roofs) and is usually a horizontal straight line. However, with roof types that have eaves all around, such as gambrel, hipped roofs, or square roofs, there can also be a ridge that slopes towards the four corners. This is called a "downward ridge" and in this case the ridge at the top is called the "main ridge" to distinguish it. The ridge is, so to speak, the watershed of the roof and is naturally exposed to strong winds and rain, so when the roof is tiled, noshi tiles are layered on top of each other and covered with ganburi tiles to tightly secure it to the roof base, and when the roof is thatched, a ridge clamp is placed. In addition, because the ridge is the most prominent part of the exterior of a building, its edges are decorated with onigawara (or oniita), shachi (roof ornaments), shibi (roof ornaments), and even large ganburi (roof ornaments) called box ridges are used to make the building appear spacious. The decorative ridge supports are known as katsuogi (wooden sticks) seen in shrine architecture.

[Yamada Koichi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

屋根（陸(ろく)屋根を除く）の頂部をいい、通常は水平な直線状に現れる。しかし入母屋(いりもや)、寄棟、または方形のように四囲に軒が回る屋根型では、その四隅に向かって傾斜した棟もできる。これを「降(くだ)り棟」といい、この場合は先の棟を「大(おお)棟」とよんで区別する。棟はいわば屋根の分水嶺(ぶんすいれい)となる箇所で、風雨の当たりも当然激しいから、瓦葺(かわらぶ)きのときは熨斗(のし)瓦を重ね雁振(がんぶり)瓦をかぶせ屋根下地と厳重に緊結し、茅(かや)葺きなどのときは棟押えを置く。また棟は建物の外観でもっとも目だつ箇所でもあるから、その端部を鬼瓦（または鬼板）、鯱(しゃち)、鴟尾(しび)などで飾り、さらに箱棟と称するとくに大型の雁振などを用い広壮にみせることがある。なお、棟押えの装飾化したものが神社建築にみる鰹木(かつおぎ)である。

［山田幸一］

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