{{short description|Japanese mythological creature}} {{Italic title|reason=:Category:Japanese words and phrases}} thumb|248x248px|Shachihoko on the roof of Nagoya Castle
A {{nihongo||鯱・鯱鉾|'''Shachihoko'''}} – or simply {{nihongo||鯱|'''Shachi'''}} – is a sea monster in Japanese folklore with the head of a dragon or tiger and the body of a carp<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%97%E3%82%83%E3%81%A1%E3%81%BB%E3%81%93|script-title=ja:しゃちほこ|publisher=三省堂 大辞林|language=Japanese}}</ref> covered entirely in black or grey scales.<ref name=":0">Joya. ''Japan and Things Japanese.'' Taylor and Francis, 2017;2016;, {{doi|10.4324/9780203041130}}</ref> According to the tale, Shachihoko lives in the cold northern ocean. Its broad fins and tail always point up toward heaven, and its dorsal fins have numerous sharp spikes. It can swallow a massive amount of water and hold it in its belly, as well as summon clouds and control the rain.<ref name=":1">Meyer, Matthew. “Shachihoko.” ''YOKAI.COM'', https://yokai.com/shachihoko/ . Accessed 3 December 2022.</ref> Although believed to come from the sea, they are often constructed high on the roof standing upside down.<ref name=":0" />
鯱 is a kokuji character; when pronounced {{nihongo||鯱|shachi}}, it can mean "orca".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%97%E3%82%83%E3%81%A1|title=しゃち|publisher=三省堂 大辞林|language=Japanese}}</ref>
== Origins == Shachihoko evolved from ''Chiwen'', an animal in the Chinese tale from the Han dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD), and is known as Shibi in Japan.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Shachihoko or Shachi - Creature with Tiger Head & Fish Body |url=http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shachihoko.html |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=www.onmarkproductions.com}}</ref> First found in the Eastern Han dynasty portrait brick “Visitation”, Chiwen appears as a component that covers the roof ridge and protects the building from fire.<ref name=":3">Wu Wei, and Hong Shan."The Analysis of Chinese Traditional Ridge Decoration Symbol of Chiwen." ''Packaging Journal'', vol. 5, no. 1, 2013, pp. 68-72.</ref> The animal was popularized in Japan during the Nara (710 AD - 794 AD) and Heian period (794 AD - 1185), and became a widely used element of Japanese roof construction during the Sengoku period (1467–1651).<ref name=":1" />
Other descriptions propose that Shachihoko probably derived from the ancient Vedic sea creature in Hindu mythology, known as ''Makara'', a Sanskrit term for sea monster. It is a powerful protector and servant of various deities that appears in half-fish and half-beast, often depicted with a dragon emerging from its mouth and characterized by an elongated nose that resembles an elephant.<ref name=":2" /> In Southeast Asia, Makara is frequently used to adorn temple lintels and arches or as rain spouts.<ref name=":1" />
== Functions == thumb|291x291px|Shachihoko on Tōdaiji Kondō (Nara) Since most ancient architecture is made of wood, they are often under the threat of fire. Shachihoko, believed to have the ability to store water and control the rain, are often constructed in a male and female pair at each end of the roof ridge as protector spirits of the castles. Although the exact technique is unknown, it is said that its grotesque appearance and particularly the spouting hole might send out water to quench fire.<ref name=":0" /> Meanwhile, despite usually having similar styling, Shachihoko could vary in scale, which potentially makes it an important symbol for reflecting the grade of ancient buildings and proving the wealth of the constructor.<ref name=":3" /> It is thus believed that when Shachihoko is first used on roofs in the Muromachi period (1333–1573), it serves as a representation of the feudal lord's authority.<ref name=":4">Mitchelhill, Jennifer. ''Castles of the Samurai: Power and Beauty''. Kodansha International, 2003.</ref>
The most famous Shachihoko today is the kin shachi (golden dolphins) at Nagoya castle, which are plated in 18 karat gold, 0.15 millimetres thick. The male is 2.62 meters high, weighs 1,272 kilograms, and has 112 scales, while the female is 2.58 meters high, weighs 1,215 kilograms, and has 126 scales.<ref name=":4" /> However, with more realistic and modern approaches to fire protection, most Shachihoko now retains only an ornamental function as roof decoration. Because of its uncanny gesture, Shachihoko is used as a synonym for "standing upside down on the head, and the term "shachihoko-baru (鯱張る: to be stiffly dignified)" is also derived from its name.<ref name=":0" />
==In popular culture== *The mascot for the 2026 Asian Games, '''Honohon''', represents a shachihoko. **Same as '''Uzumin''', mascot for the same year's Asian Para Games. *Kinshachi appears as a playable character in Kemono Friends 3<ref>{{cite web | title=『けものフレンズ３』フレンズ紹介Pv キンシャチ | website=YouTube | date=30 April 2024 | url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6onee46CJGo }}</ref> *The '''Rainmaker''' (In japanese: '''Gachi hoko'''), a weapon unique to a game mode of the same name in the Splatoon series, is based directly on the shachihoko. ** In the first installment, its ability to control rain is represented with the weapon firing tornadoes of ink.
==See also== *Gargoyle *Grotesque (architecture) *Makara (Hindu mythology) *''Onigawara'' *''Shibi'' (roof tile) *Team Shachi (originally Team Syachihoko), a J-pop idol group which formerly used the animal in its name and logo
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{commonscat-inline|Shachi}}
{{Japanese folklore long}}
Category:Japanese legendary creatures Category:Legendary fish Category:Mythological tigers