The Walls That Frame the Temple Gate
To either side of the Black Gate at the south entrance of Yugyo-ji, a stone wall and a mud wall turn at right angles and run out to enclose the open ground before the gate. The stone wall reaches a total length of about 53 metres, the tiled mud wall about 22, and together they define the approach to the head temple of the Ji-shu.
Shojoko-ji, popularly Yugyo-ji, stood at the heart of a town that grew as Fujisawa-juku on the old Tokaido. The walls preserve the sense of that old gate-front, where the highway met the temple precinct.
Why the Walls Are Registered
Registered in 2016 for their contribution to the historic landscape, the stone wall is built of cut andesite laid up precisely to a height of about 1.9 metres, finished along the top with a course of coping stones. The mud wall survives only on the east and west sides of the gate; its ridge is dressed with carefully laid noshi tiles and its roof covered with pantiles.
The stonework belongs to the late Edo period, with repairs around the mid-1920s. As a pair, the walls carry forward the appearance of a temple gate-front from early modern times.
What to Look For
Look at how precisely the andesite is coursed and how the coping stones finish the top, then follow the right-angle turn that carries the wall out from the gate. The noshi tiles along the ridge of the mud wall are worth a glance where the wall survives.
The walls stand on the public street beside the gate and can be seen at any time; they make the best starting point for reading the whole approach.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kanagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shojokoji Temple Stone Wall and Tsukiji Wall
- [ Kamakura Buddha Hakone Onsen & Yokohama Tours ]
Q&A
- What exactly is registered here?
- A pair of walls flanking the main gate: a stone wall of about 53 metres and a tiled mud wall of about 22 metres, registered together as one item.
- How tall is the stone wall?
- About 1.9 metres, built of precisely coursed cut andesite finished with coping stones along the top.
- How old are the walls?
- The stonework dates from the late Edo period, with repairs around the mid-1920s.
- Where does the mud wall survive?
- Only on the east and west sides of the main gate, where it is finished with noshi ridge tiles and a pantile roof.
- Can I see them freely?
- Yes. They stand on the public street beside the gate at the foot of the precinct and can be seen at any time.
Basic Information
| Name | Stone Wall and Mud Wall of Shojoko-ji (Yugyo-ji) |
|---|---|
| Location | 神奈川県藤沢市西富一丁目208 (Fujisawa, Kanagawa) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Registered | 25 February 2016 (Reg. no. 14-0216) |
| Date | Late Edo; repaired c. mid-1920s |
| Structure | Stone wall (masonry) total length 53 m; mud wall (tiled) total length 22 m |
| Owner | Religious corporation Shojoko-ji |
| Access | On the public street; viewable at any time |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — National Cultural Properties Database (Stone and Mud Wall)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010943
- Yugyo-ji (Shojoko-ji) official site — history
- https://yugyoji.or.jp/engi/
- Fujisawa City Tourism — Yugyo-ji
- https://www.fujisawa-kanko.jp/spot/fujisawa/03.html
- Shojoko-ji — Wikipedia (Japanese)
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B8%85%E6%B5%84%E5%85%89%E5%AF%BA
Last verified: 2026.07.05