wooden ridge-end board; onigawara substitute
A wooden board used at the ridge-ends of a traditional Japanese roof in place of a decorative onigawara tile; sometimes covered with copper sheeting. This is a specialized architectural term.
See also: 鬼瓦
Oniita boards are used on the roof of this old shrine.
An oniita is attached to the ridge-end instead of an onigawara tile.
Compound of 鬼 (oni, 'demon', here referring to the decorative ridge-end function) and 板 (ita, 'board'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term likely arose as a descriptive name for a wooden alternative to onigawara tiles.