A Bell-Tower Gate at the Temple Entrance
The Unshoji Temple Main Gate and Flanking Walls (雲松寺山門及び袖塀) is a bell-tower gate with earthen walls of the mid-Edo period (1661 to 1751) in the entrance of the Unshoji precinct in Kobasamacho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 3, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is pronounced Unshō-ji Sanmon oyobi Sodebei.
The Agency records the gate as a two-storey timber structure with a tiled roof and a building area of 12 square metres, and the walls as earthen walls 21 metres long in total; the gate was moved here in 1915; registration number 28-0824.
A Two-Storey Gate with a Bell
The Unshoji Temple Main Gate and Flanking Walls consist of the gate at the entrance of the precinct, facing east, and the earthen walls that run from it to the north and south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The gate is one bay wide with a single passage, two storeys high under a hip-and-gable roof in round and flat tiles, and its upper storey hangs a temple bell: a bell-tower gate.
On the lower storey each corner is held by a pair of posts, one square and one round, an unusual arrangement (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The upper storey stands on round posts, with two-stepped bracket sets fitted with tail rafters and a double layer of closely spaced rafters at the eaves. A balcony, carried on its own brackets and edged with a railing, runs round the upper floor.
The Agency dates the gate to the mid-Edo period and records that it was moved here in 1915. No official source was found saying where it came from.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Unshoji Temple Main Gate and Flanking Walls for their contribution to the historic landscape, noting that the elaborate gate gives the precinct a dignified front. In the old castle-town streets north of Himeji Castle it also marks the way into the temple.
What to Look For
On the lower storey, look for the square and round posts standing side by side at each corner. Then pass through and look back up from the temple side, to the west, where the two-stepped brackets of the upper storey, the brackets under the balcony and the railing are easiest to see. Step back to take in the gate and its walls together.
Visiting
The Unshoji Temple Main Gate and Flanking Walls stand at the entrance and can be seen freely from the street side. The temple says the bell in the upper storey is opened to the public for ringing on New Year's Eve each year. No access to the upper storey is announced, and no official guidance on photography was found.
Q&A
- When was the Unshoji Temple Main Gate built?
- In the mid-Edo period; it was moved to its present site in 1915 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is unusual about the Unshoji Temple Main Gate?
- Each corner of the lower storey has a pair of posts, one square and one round; the upper storey has two-stepped brackets and a railed balcony.
- Can visitors ring the bell in the Unshoji gate?
- The temple opens it to the public on New Year's Eve each year.
- How long are the walls of the Unshoji Temple Main Gate?
- The earthen walls run 21 metres in total (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Unshoji Temple Main Gate and Flanking Walls registered?
- On December 3, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Unshoji Temple Main Gate and Flanking Walls (雲松寺山門及び袖塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 17 Kobasamacho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/12/03 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Gate: two-storey timber, tiled roof, 12 m²; walls: earthen, 21 m in total |
| Owner | Unshoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Visible freely from the street; bell opened to the public on New Year's Eve |
References
- Unshoji Temple Main Gate and Flanking Walls (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015209
- About Unshoji (Unshoji official website, Japanese)
- https://unsyouji.com/about/
Last verified: 2026.10.28
