If you have a chance to visit Kyoto, be sure to look closely at the roofs of private
houses, temples and shrines. On many roofs you will see the Chinese guardian
deity Shōki (Zhong Kui in Chinese) placed there to ward off evil spirits. Shōki
is a small guardian deity familiar to the people of Kyoto, and of course, these
pieces are also made using the same material and techniques as Kyoto ceramic
tiles.