A Gate with a Bell in Its Upper Storey
The Fumonji Temple Bell Tower Gate (普門寺鐘楼門) is a grand bell-tower gate with deep eaves of 1707 in Unoyacho, Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 6, 2025 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber gate with a copper roof and a building area of 15 square metres, altered in 1953 and 1999; registration number 23-0614.
A Two-Storey Gate Hung with a Bell
The bell-tower gate of Fumonji is a single-bay, single-passage two-storey gate facing south before the priests' quarters at the centre of the precinct (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its upper storey, three bays square, has a hip-and-gable copper roof, single-step brackets with carved bracket arms and two layers of close-set rafters.
Inside the upper storey is a single board-floored room with a batten ceiling, and the bell hangs at its centre (Agency for Cultural Affairs). With its deep eaves it is a grand gate that forms the main approach of the precinct.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the building as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the deep-eaved upper storey and the bell hung inside it (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Fumonji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Aichi Prefecture tourism site, the main hall and Daishi Hall are opened from 9:00 to 15:45 during the maple festival from late November to early December, for 700 yen (free for those aged 17 and under). It is about 45 minutes by car from Toyokawa IC on the Tomei Expressway or 15 minutes by taxi from JR Futagawa Station, with free parking for 200 cars. The six registered buildings are introduced together on the Fumonji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was the gate built?
- In 1707 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where does it stand?
- At the centre of the precinct, before the priests' quarters.
- Where is the bell?
- At the centre of the upper storey.
- What does it look like?
- Grand, with deep eaves.
- When was the Fumonji Temple Bell Tower Gate registered?
- On August 6, 2025 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Fumonji Temple Bell Tower Gate (普門寺鐘楼門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Unoyacho, Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2025/08/06 (Reiwa 7) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, copper roof, 15 m² |
| Owner | Fumonji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Main hall and Daishi Hall opened during the autumn maple festival (Aichi Prefecture) |
References
- Fumonji Temple Bell Tower Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015462
- Fumonji maple festival (Aichi Now, official Aichi Prefecture tourism site, Japanese)
- https://aichinow.pref.aichi.jp/spots/detail/1787/
Last verified: 2026.10.24
