What is Myokakuji Temple Main Gate?
Myokakuji Temple Main Gate (明覚寺山門, Myōkaku-ji Sanmon) is a four-legged gate (Shikyakumon) built in 1869 at Myokakuji, a Shin Buddhist temple in Kisa, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024. It opens at the center of the precinct's east side and is the way in from the street.
The gable roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) is covered in pantiles, and the opening is 2.8 meters wide. Put up the year after the Meiji Restoration, it is the oldest of the three registered buildings at the temple.
Round pillars, square pillars and an unusual tie beam
A four-legged gate has two main pillars that carry the doors, each braced by a supporting post in front and behind. On Myokakuji Temple Main Gate the main pillars are round and the four Hikaebashira supporting posts are square, so the two roles are told apart by shape.
What the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls unusual is the way the horizontal timbers run. A crossbeam, the Kabuki, spans between the main pillars, and above it a separate tie beam links the front and rear posts. Setting these two timbers at different levels, and running them in different directions, is what gives the gate its structural character.
Crowded brackets under the eaves
Most of the gate's interest is up under the roof. A plate rests on top of the pillars, and on it sit flat three-block bracket sets with fist-shaped beam ends, packed closely in the Tsumegumi manner so that they fill the spaces between pillars as well as the pillar tops. The Agency describes the Myokakuji gate as busy with brackets, which is a lot of carpentry for an opening under 3 meters wide.
The eaves have a single layer of closely spaced rafters (Taruki). Wooden board doors hang in the opening.
Why Myokakuji Temple Main Gate was registered
The gate was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It faces the main street of Kisa, an old post town on the Iwami Ginzan Kaidō, and together with the bell hall beside it forms the temple's street front.
Miyoshi City's announcement illustrates the pair as seen from the street, with the gate on the right and the bell hall on the left. It is the two together, not the gate alone, that belong to the view along this road.
Seeing Myokakuji Temple Main Gate
Because Myokakuji Temple Main Gate stands right on the street, its exterior can be seen from the road at any time. For the brackets, stand directly beneath the eaves and look up; the Agency's own photo set includes exactly that view.
Take in the whole gate from across the street first, then step underneath to see how the crossbeam and the tie beam relate to each other. If you go through into the precinct, be mindful of any service in progress. Directions to the temple are on the Myokakuji page.
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Q&A
- When was Myokakuji Temple Main Gate built?
- The national database dates it to 1869. It is the oldest of the three registered buildings at Myokakuji.
- What kind of gate is Myokakuji Temple Main Gate?
- It is a four-legged gate with a pantiled gable roof. The main pillars are round and the supporting posts square, and a tie beam linking the front and rear posts runs above the crossbeam between the main pillars, an arrangement the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes as unusual.
- Why is Myokakuji Temple Main Gate a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. With its dense bracketing it faces the street and, together with the bell hall, shapes the streetscape. It was registered on March 6, 2024.
- How large is Myokakuji Temple Main Gate?
- The opening is 2.8 meters wide. Small as it is, the gate carries closely packed three-block brackets with fist-shaped beam ends and a single layer of tightly spaced rafters.
- Can I visit Myokakuji Temple Main Gate freely, and may I take photos?
- The exterior can be seen from the street at any time. The temple has not published a photography policy, so if you plan to photograph inside the precinct or are visiting as a group, it is best to check with the temple first.
Basic Information
| Name | Myokakuji Temple Main Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 462 Kisa, Kisamachi, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | March 6, 2024 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Opening width 2.8 m |
| Owner | Myokakuji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Faces the street; exterior visible at all times |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Myokakuji Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014949
- Cultural Heritage Online: Myokakuji Gate
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/609219
- Hiroshima Prefecture press release on the registration recommendation (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/556362.pdf
- Miyoshi City press release on the registration of Myokakuji (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.miyoshi.hiroshima.jp/uploaded/attachment/19419.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.08
