What the Middle Gate Is
Kosanji Temple Middle Gate is a two-storey gate of 1939 on the lowest terrace of Kosanji Temple in Setoda, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, entered on the national register of Tangible Cultural Properties in 2003. It is four bays wide with two openings, roofed hip-and-gable in Hongawarabuki tiling, and covers 46 square metres.
The gate closes the north side of the central precinct, and it is the second gate a visitor passes after the Main Gate. The temple treats it as the formal front gate.
Its model is the middle gate of the western precinct at Horyuji in Nara. The depth here is set at two bays and the proportions of each part differ from the original. The bracketing broadly follows the model, while metal fittings and colouring are used more freely to thicken the surface.
Why It Was Registered
Kosanji Temple Middle Gate was registered under the criterion for work that could not easily be reproduced. It assembles an Asuka-period vocabulary in the form of a two-storey gate and then adjusts both dimensions and ornament, and that is what the criterion recognised.
The temple points to the columns, tapered above and below and swelled at the centre, to the swastika-fret lattice in the upper railing, and to the short struts on the flat beam. It also records that the relief carving on the columns set the standard for the ornament used on every hall built here after the war.
The registration date is 19 September 2003 and the number is 34-0044.
What to Look For
The first thing to check at the Middle Gate is that the upper storey has no stairs. The temple states plainly that the stairs were dropped in favour of how the gate looks. A two-storey gate would normally carry a floor people could reach; here the upper level exists only to be looked at.
The swell in the columns reads better from directly underneath, following a shaft with your eye, than from the front. Compare two neighbouring columns and the taper at top and bottom becomes obvious.
Look up at the Kōran of the upper storey and the lattice resolves into a broken swastika pattern. Thin members crossing on the diagonal read as pure shadow against the light and as a division between bare timber and paint with the light behind you. Two visits at different hours give two different gates.
Colouring and metal fittings are applied more emphatically than on the model. The relief on the columns in particular is dense work, easier to study by turning back after you have passed through than in the moment of walking under it.
Visiting the Middle Gate
Kosanji Temple Middle Gate stands on the path through the precinct, so visitors pass beneath it. The upper storey is closed and cannot be entered, which makes this a building to be looked at from below.
For the whole gate, stand at the foot of the stone steps and look up. For the detail, move directly underneath and take in the columns and brackets. The Arhat Hall runs away on both sides and reads as one continuous roofline, so getting the gate on its own means moving squarely in front of it.
Photography for personal enjoyment is permitted, along with posting on a personal blog or social media account. Commercial use without permission is not allowed. Opening hours and admission apply to the whole precinct and appear on the Kosanji Temple page.
Q&A
- Can you climb the upper storey of Kosanji Temple Middle Gate?
- No. The upper storey is closed, and no stairs were ever built. The temple says they were left out in favour of the gate's appearance.
- What was Kosanji Temple Middle Gate modelled on?
- The middle gate of the western precinct at Horyuji in Nara, though the depth is set at two bays and the proportions differ.
- When was Kosanji Temple Middle Gate built?
- In 1939. It was entered on the register of Tangible Cultural Properties on 19 September 2003.
- What kind of gate is Kosanji Temple Middle Gate?
- A two-storey gate four bays wide with two openings, roofed hip-and-gable with temple tiling, covering 46 square metres.
- Where is the best place to view Kosanji Temple Middle Gate?
- From the foot of the stone steps for the whole building, and from directly beneath it for the columns and brackets.
Basic Information
| Name | Kosanji Temple Middle Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 553-2 Setoda, Setoda-cho, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 2003/9/19 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber structure, tiled roof, building area 46 square metres |
| Owner | Religious Corporation Kosanji Temple |
| Public Access | Passed through on entry; upper storey closed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Kosanji Temple Middle Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003586
- Guide to the Halls and Pagodas (Kosanji Museum)
- https://www.kousanji.or.jp/map.html
- On Photography (Kosanji Museum)
- https://www.kousanji.or.jp/news/photograph-manners/
Last verified: 2026.09.14
