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Why did Japanese architects combine tiled hip-gabled roofs with Western-style buildings?

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The main building (kondo) at Horyu-ji Temple in Ikaruga, Nara, Japan, features multi-tiered, tiled roofs and wooden architectural details on a stone base. — Japanese architecture Main building at Hōryū Temple, Ikaruga, Nara prefecture, Japan.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japanese architects combined Western-style building designs with traditional elements—such as tiled hip-gabled roofs, curved gables, and overhanging eaves—as part of a deliberate effort to harmonize the grand scale of Western architecture with Japanese aesthetic sensibilities.1

This approach was particularly representative of the work of Japanese architects trained by foreign experts during the Meiji Restoration, a period defined by Japan's rapid assimilation of Western industrial and cultural standards. By integrating traditional features into large-scale, monumental structures, architects sought to create a meaningful modern style that remained appropriate for Japanese sites while adopting the structural technology and European forms introduced from abroad.1