The (also called or ) is a system of and supporting the
eaves of a Japanese building, usually part of a
Buddhist temple or
Shinto shrine. The use of
tokyo is made necessary by the extent to which the eaves protrude, a functionally essential element of
Japanese Buddhist architecture. The system has however always had also an important decorative function. Like most architectural elements in Japan, the system is Chinese in origin (on the subject, see the article
Dougong) but has evolved since its arrival into several original forms.