shachihoko; mythical tiger-headed fish
A mythical creature with a tiger's head and a fish's body, often used as a roof ornament on Japanese castles.
Shachihoko were placed on castle roofs as a charm against fire.
shachihoko roof ornament
Specifically the roof ornament shaped like the mythical creature, believed to protect against fire by summoning rain.
The golden shachihoko of Nagoya Castle are famous.
Usually written in kana. The kanji forms 鯱 and 鯱鉾 are rare.
Katakana spelling is also common.
Rare kanji form.
Rare kanji form.
The origin is uncertain. The word may be related to 鯱 (shachi, 'orca') and 鉾 (hoko, 'halberd'), but the exact derivation is unclear.