Hotoji Temple Four-Legged Gate (Main Gate)

A Muromachi Gate at the Temple Entrance

The Hotoji Temple Four-Legged Gate (Main Gate) (寶塔寺四脚門（総門）) is a four-legged gate serving as the temple's main gate of the mid-Muromachi period in Fukakusa Hotojiyamacho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on April 14, 1906 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a gabled four-legged gate with a tiled roof; designation number 00345.

The 1906 date in the Agency record is that of its designation under the former law.

The Main Gate of the Temple

Hotoji is a temple of the Nichiren school, revered as the burial place of Nichizo (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its main gate is a four-legged gate of the mid-Muromachi period, gabled with a tiled roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A four-legged gate has two supporting posts in front of and behind each main post.

The gate, older than the main hall, was designated in 1906 together with the pagoda (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Why It Is an Important Cultural Property

The Agency record has no commentary; the date, the mid-Muromachi period, and its form, a gabled four-legged gate, set out what was designated.

What to Look For

At the Hotoji gate, look for the gabled roof carried on the main posts and the supporting posts before and behind them.

Visiting

The four-legged gate is owned by Hotoji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours was found. The main hall, the tahoto pagoda and the four-legged gate are introduced together on the Hotoji Temple page.