The Black Gate at the Foot of the Precinct
At the southern entrance to Yugyo-ji stands a large black gate more than seven metres tall. It is the Somon, the outer main gate of the temple, and its dark timbers have earned it the local name Kuromon, the Black Gate. Built in the early Meiji period, it faces the old Tokaido road at the point where the highway once passed through the post town of Fujisawa-juku.
Shojoko-ji, popularly Yugyo-ji, grew up as the head temple of the Ji-shu sect, and the town at its gate developed as a station on the Tokaido, the great road linking Edo and Kyoto. The gate marks the threshold between that old highway and the temple precinct rising behind it.
Why the Gate Is Registered
Registered in 2016 for its contribution to the historic landscape, the gate is a large kabukimon, a form in which a horizontal lintel is set across the main posts. Those posts are chamfered timbers about 0.7 metres across the face, set five metres apart, their tops capped with metal hoods. Rails tie them to the supporting posts, and a small roof over the whole gives it the look of a korai-mon.
Painted black and measuring about 7.2 metres in height, the gate carries wooden plaques naming the temple as head of the Ji-shu. Together with the stone wall and mud wall to either side, it gives the approach the dignity of an old and important temple.
What to Look For
This is where a visit begins. Note the metal hoods over the post tops and the way the small roof turns the plain lintel gate into something closer to a korai-mon. The old Tokaido here was drawn by Hiroshige in his prints of the fifty-three stations, with the temple in the background.
The gate stands on the public street and can be seen at any time; beyond it the flanking walls lead the eye up toward the stone steps and the great ginkgo within.
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Q&A
- What is the Somon?
- It is the outer main gate at the south entrance of the temple, locally called the Kuromon or Black Gate for its dark colour. It stands about 7.2 metres tall.
- What kind of gate is it?
- A large kabukimon, with a lintel set across chamfered main posts, given a small roof that lends it the appearance of a korai-mon.
- When was it built?
- In the early Meiji period, roughly 1868 to 1882.
- Why is it connected to the Tokaido?
- The town at the temple gate developed as Fujisawa-juku, a station on the old Tokaido highway, and the approach appears in Hiroshige's woodblock prints.
- Can I see it freely?
- Yes. The gate stands on the public street at the foot of the precinct and can be seen at any time.
Basic Information
| Name | Main Gate (Somon) 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. 14-0215) |
| Date | Early Meiji (c. 1868-1882) |
| Structure | Timber; copper roof; kabukimon, frontage 5.0 m, height approx. 7.2 m |
| Owner | Religious corporation Shojoko-ji |
| Access | On the public street; viewable at any time |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — National Cultural Properties Database (Main Gate)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010942
- 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