Jinkoin Temple Sanmon Gate

A Dignified Yakuimon Gate

The Jinkoin Temple Sanmon Gate (神光院山門) is the plain but dignified main gate of an old temple of the late Edo period in Nishigamo Jinkoincho, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 26, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a timber gate with a tiled roof, 2.5 metres wide; registration number 26-0631.

Thick Posts and a Plum-Blossom Gable Pendant

According to Kyoto City, Jinkoin is said to have been founded in 1217 after an oracle received by a priest of Kamigamo Shrine, which gave the temple its name; it is counted with To-ji and Ninna-ji as one of the three Kobo temples of Kyoto and is known locally as the Kobo-san of Nishigamo.

The gate, a one-bay yakuimon gate of the late Edo period, stands east-west in the middle of the south side of the precinct, gabled and roofed in full tiles (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Thick, oblong main posts carry lower beams at their tops, a heavy lintel spans between them, and splayed struts on the upper beams carry the ridge. The eaves have a single tier of widely spaced rafters on boards, and a plum-blossom pendant hangs at the apex of the bargeboards (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency describes it as plain but dignified, a fitting main gate for an old temple.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.

What to Look For

Look for the thick oblong posts and the plum-blossom pendant at the gable apex (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

It is owned by Jinkoin Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting hours or fees was found. The main hall, guest hall, Chukodo, Rengetsuan and gate are introduced together on the Jinkoin Temple page.