The decorative timbers on the roof of Kumano Hongu Taisha: Chigi are the pointed, golden forks at the ends of the roof. They symbolise the transition between heaven and earth and the connection to the divine, and 'pierce the sky'. Katsuogi are the transverse beams. They emphasise the majestic silhouette and represent purity and protection by the kami. Kumano Hongu Taisha is the centre of Kumano Sanzan (Hongu, Hayatama and Nachi Taisha) and the main shrine of more than 4,700 Kumano shrines. Detailed roof construction of a traditional Japanese building in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan