noun
cypress bark; bark of the Japanese cypress
Specifically the bark of the hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), traditionally used as roofing material in Japanese architecture.
檜皮葺きの屋根は美しい。
A roof thatched with cypress bark is beautiful.
この神社の屋根には檜皮が使われている。
Cypress bark is used for the roof of this shrine.
Variant spelling using the simplified form 桧; also common.
Compound of 檜 (hi, 'Japanese cypress') + 皮 (kawa, 'skin, bark'), with rendaku voicing of the second element. The reading ひわだ is a sound change from ひはだ.