Rain Chains are an attractive alternative to traditional downpipes. Rain chains are used widely in Japan. While their purpose is largely decorative, making a water feature out of the travel of rainwater from the guttering down to a drain or to storage, they are still functional.
Rain chains are typically either a series of metal cups, chained together with a hole in the bottom of each. Rain water from the roof gets distributed from the gutter downward through the rain chain.