Shorenji Temple Gate

A Mid-Edo Gate at Shorenji

The Shorenji Temple Gate (正蓮寺山門) is a timber gate of the mid-Edo period (1661–1751) toward the west end of the south side of the precinct of Shorenji, a Shin Buddhist temple at Kamo-cho, Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a tiled timber gate 2.8 metres wide, registration number 37-443, owned by Shorenji.

Shorenji, a Shin Buddhist Temple below Goshikidai

According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Shorenji is a temple of the Shin (True Pure Land) school at the western foot of the Goshikidai uplands in western Sakaide. Five of its structures, the mid-Edo gate, the Main Hall of 1825, the entrance halls of 1845, the sutra repository of 1879 and the bell tower of 1910, were registered together as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on March 29, 2019.

The Shorenji Temple Gate forms the front of the precinct, with the sutra repository and bell tower beside it (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Value as a Registered Cultural Property

The Shorenji Temple Gate was registered as a structure that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as a precious building that conveys the mid-Edo building style of the precinct.

What to Look For

According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Shorenji Temple Gate is a yakuimon gate with a gabled roof of hongawara tiles. Its main posts are of large flat-sectioned timber, and the stout square rear posts carry a tie beam with carved patterns, giving the gate a sense of mass.

The eaves have double rafters set closely, and the gable carries a large strut with scrolled side boards and a turnip-shaped pendant board (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The heavy posts and gable ornament are the highlights.

Visiting

The Shorenji Temple Gate is a temple building in the precinct of Shorenji. Please visit quietly, without disturbing worshippers or the temple.

The address is 1048 and others, Kamo-cho, Sakaide City. The five registered structures of Shorenji are gathered on the group page Shorenji Temple (Sakaide).