also: きんこ
golden shachihoko
A golden ornament in the shape of a mythical shachihoko (a creature with a tiger's head and a carp's body), often seen on the roofs of Japanese castles and temples.
See also: しゃちほこ
Golden shachihoko decorate the keep of Nagoya Castle.
Golden shachihoko are also known as talismans against fire.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading きんしゃち is the most common.
Alternate reading きんこ is less common but attested.
Compound of 金 (kin, 'gold') and 鯱 (shachi, 'shachihoko'). The reading きんしゃち is a standard combination of the on'yomi of 金 and the kun'yomi of 鯱, while きんこ uses the on'yomi of both characters.