The Shogun's Gate on Mount Horaiji
The Horaiji Temple Niomon Gate (鳳来寺仁王門, Horaiji niomon) is a two-storey gate of 1651 on the main approach to Horaiji in Kadoya, Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture, and it was designated an Important Cultural Property on November 14, 1953. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a three-bay, single-passage tower gate with a hip-and-gable roof, originally covered in cypress bark and now in copper sheet.
According to Shinshiro City, it was built with funds donated by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun, and huge guardian figures (nio) stand on either side. It is also called the sanmon or romon. It stands partway up the stone-stepped approach, which is said to have 1,425 steps from the foot of the mountain (Shinshiro City and Aichi Prefecture).
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The gate was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1953. It is valuable as a full-scale early Edo tower gate whose date and origin as a gift of Shogun Iemitsu are clear. Shinshiro City describes it as a three-bay, single-passage, hip-roofed two-storey gate whose frog-leg struts and bracketing show mouldings in the Daibutsuyo (Tenjikuyo) style.
According to Aichi Prefecture, Horaiji is an old temple on the slopes of Mount Horaiji, a sacred mountain said to have been opened some 1,300 years ago by the hermit Rishu. Amid scenery designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument, the vermilion gate on the approach marks the entrance to the holy mountain.
What to Look For
Look at the carvings on the frog-leg struts. According to Shinshiro City, the front shows a tiger in bamboo, the back a lion among peonies, the east side a rhinoceros in waves and the west side a qilin in clouds. Walk around the gate to find each one.
The gate is built of vermilion-lacquered zelkova, with a balustrade around the upper storey (Shinshiro City). It was extensively repaired in fiscal 1988, when the pair of guardian figures was also restored.
Visiting the Gate
The Niomon stands on Horaiji's main approach, and visiting is free (Aichi Prefecture). Reach it on foot along the stone steps. Drivers can use the Horaiji-san Parkway car park (¥550 per car per day, ¥1,100 in peak periods).
Horaiji Temple is reached by Toyotetsu bus on the Taguchi-Shinshiro Line from Hon-Nagashino Station on the JR Iida Line to the Horaiji stop, or about 20 minutes by car from the Shinshiro exit of the Shin-Tomei Expressway (Aichi Prefecture). Enquiries go to Horaiji (0536-35-1004); the address is 1 Horaiji, Kadoya, Shinshiro City.
Q&A
- When was the Horaiji Niomon built?
- In 1651, with funds donated by the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu.
- When was it designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On November 14, 1953.
- What style is the Niomon?
- A three-bay, single-passage tower gate with a hip-and-gable roof, once cypress bark and now copper sheet.
- What do the carvings on the gate show?
- A tiger in bamboo on the front, a lion among peonies on the back, a rhinoceros in waves on the east and a qilin in clouds on the west.
- How do I get to the Horaiji Niomon?
- Take a Toyotetsu bus from Hon-Nagashino Station to the Horaiji stop and walk up the stone-stepped approach; drivers can use the Horaiji-san Parkway car park.
Basic Information
| Name | Horaiji Temple Niomon Gate (鳳来寺仁王門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Horaiji, Kadoya, Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture (Horaiji) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1953/11/14 (Showa 28) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Three-bay, single-passage tower gate, hip-and-gable roof, copper sheet (originally cypress bark) |
| Owner | Horaiji |
| Public Access | Viewable on the approach (free) |
References
- 鳳来寺仁王門 (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1291
- Horaiji Niomon (Shinshiro City)
- https://www.city.shinshiro.lg.jp/kanko/minzokugeino/niomon.html
- Mount Horaiji and Horaiji (Aichi Now, Aichi Prefecture tourism)
- https://aichinow.pref.aichi.jp/spots/detail/50/
Last verified: 2026.10.04