A Gate of Clouds, Waves and Dragons
The Meisekiji Temple Niomon Gate (明石寺仁王門) is an eight-legged gate fine in design and skill of around 1901 in Uwacho Ageishi, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber gate with a tiled roof and a building area of 37 square metres; registration number 38-0079.
An Eight-Legged Gate with Clouds and Dragons
The Niomon gate stands facing south on the middle terrace in front of the main hall; it is an eight-legged gate three bays wide with one passage, under a hip-and-gable pantiled roof, with single-step brackets and two tiers of rafters (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
On the front every tie beam is shaped as a rainbow beam, and the transoms and cove boards are carved with clouds (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Mythical fish crown both ends of the ridge and the side boards are shaped as waves and dragons, fine in both design and skill.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce.
What to Look For
Look for the clouds carved in the transoms, the fish at the ridge ends and the side boards shaped as waves and dragons (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The owner is not listed in the Agency record. No official information on visiting hours or fees was found. The nine registered structures, from the main hall to the stone steps, are introduced together on the Meisekiji Temple page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- Around 1901 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What type of gate is it?
- An eight-legged gate three bays wide.
- How is it decorated?
- Carved clouds, ridge-end fish and dragon-shaped boards.
- Where is it?
- On the middle terrace in front of the main hall.
- When was the Meisekiji Temple Niomon Gate registered?
- On October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Meisekiji Temple Niomon Gate (明石寺仁王門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 205 Uwacho Ageishi, Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/10/02 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, 37 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Meisekiji Temple Niomon Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006324
Last verified: 2026.10.24
