A Gate Carved with a Dragon and Peonies
The Jakkoin Temple Main Gate (寂光院山門) is a yakuimon gate at the entrance to the precinct of 1836 in Tsugao, Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 12, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber gate 2.2 metres wide with a tiled roof and side walls; registration number 23-0199.
Carvings of a Dragon and Peonies
The gate of Jakkoin is a single-bay yakuimon at the entrance to the precinct, with two layers of close-set rafters and a gabled roof of full tiles (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The brackets are three-part, set close together on the gable ends, and a carved dragon fills the space between them at the back.
The gable has a vase-shaped strut flanked by carved peonies (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The timbers are thick, and the patterns on the tie beams and beam ends show the features of their period.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the gate as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the carved dragon at the back and the peony carvings in the gable (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Jakkoin Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Aichi Prefecture tourism site, the temple is open every day free of charge (prayers are charged), about 20 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by taxi from the east exit of Inuyama-yuen Station on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line, and 1 minute from the Inuyama exit of the Owari Parkway from Komaki-higashi IC on the Chuo Expressway, with parking for 50 cars. The main hall, gate, Zuigudo and Bentendo are introduced together on the Jakkoin Temple page.
Q&A
- When was the gate built?
- In 1836 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What type of gate is it?
- A single-bay yakuimon with full tiles.
- What carvings does it have?
- A dragon at the back and peonies in the gable.
- Where does it stand?
- At the entrance to the precinct.
- When was the Jakkoin Temple Main Gate registered?
- On July 12, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Jakkoin Temple Main Gate (寂光院山門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 12 Tsugao, Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/07/12 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, 2.2 m wide, with side walls |
| Owner | Jakkoin Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Open, free; about 20 min walk from Inuyama-yuen Station (Aichi Prefecture) |
References
- Jakkoin Temple Main Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004773
- Jakkoin (Aichi Now, official Aichi Prefecture tourism site, Japanese)
- https://aichinow.pref.aichi.jp/spots/detail/949/
Last verified: 2026.10.24
