short pillar between beam and ridge
Technical architectural term for a short vertical post set on a beam to support the roof ridge, common in traditional Japanese roof framing.
この古民家の小屋組には、束柱が何本も使われている。
In the roof structure of this old farmhouse, many short pillars are used between the beams and the ridge.
Compound of 束 (つか, 'short post') and 柱 (はしら, 'pillar'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term directly describes its function in traditional Japanese carpentry.