Daitokuji Temple Karamon Gate

A Freely Carved Momoyama Gate

The Daitokuji Temple Karamon Gate (大徳寺唐門) is the Momoyama-period Karamon gate of Daitokuji in Murasakino Daitokuji-cho, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, which in 1952 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a four-legged gabled gate with cusped eave gables front and back and a cypress-bark roof.

According to the Agency, it is said to have been a gate of Hideyoshi's Jurakudai palace, given to Murakami Suo no Kami in the Tensho era (1573 to 1592) and donated by him, though there is no firm evidence.

Its Moves

According to the Agency, its later history is unclear, but an 1891 plan shows it facing east, west of the present imperial messenger gate. It was later moved to the site of the Akechi gate when that gate was transferred to Konchi-in, and now faces south as the front gate of the hojo.

It is a gabled four-legged gate with cusped eave gables front and back and a cypress-bark roof, its style clearly Momoyama.

What to Look For

The Agency describes it as lavishly carved throughout yet free and spontaneous, without formal exaggeration, a building representative of the Momoyama period.

Notice the rich carving that fills every part of the gate before the hojo.

Visiting the Daitokuji Temple Karamon Gate

No official visitor information for the head temple could be found.

The head temple buildings are described on the Daitokuji group page.