Muko Shrine South Gate, North Gate and Sacred Fence

A Fence and Two Gates, Listed Together

Muko Shrine South Gate, North Gate and Sacred Fence (向日神社南門・北門及び瑞垣) is a timber enclosure of 1842 in Kitayama, Muko-cho, Muko City, Kyoto Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015. The fence runs 52 metres in total and is roofed in tile; each gate is 2.0 metres wide.

The fence joins the worship hall and wraps three sides of the shelter over the main hall. The fourth side is closed by the worship hall itself, so fence and building together seal the inner precinct. Two openings pierce the fence, one south and one north. Those gates and the 52 metres of fence are listed as a single property.

For anyone walking the grounds, Muko Shrine South Gate, North Gate and Sacred Fence is the first thing that stops you. The top of the approach runs straight into the south gate.

Plain Fence, Ornate Gate

What makes Muko Shrine South Gate, North Gate and Sacred Fence worth attention is how differently the fence and the gates are treated.

The fence is plain. Vertical boarding below waist height, diamond lattice above, a tiled roof over the top. Stone posts on the inner face brace the timber. There is almost nothing that could be called ornament, just 52 metres held straight and even.

The gates reverse that. Both are Munamon, ridged gates carrying the ridgepole directly on two posts, with carved arm braces stacked in two tiers. The leaves are panelled doors set with Sukashibori openwork in a plant pattern. Light passes through the cut leaves and tendrils, so even closed the gate leaks a sense of what lies beyond.

Hold the fence back, dress the gates. That distribution pulls the eye of anyone climbing the approach straight to the opening.

Look for the Stone Posts

The detail most visitors miss at Muko Shrine South Gate, North Gate and Sacred Fence is the row of stone posts along the inner face of the fence. Stone set against timber to carry the load, invisible from outside. Look through from in front of the north gate and the grey blocks are there at the foot of each bay.

A wooden fence lasting more than 180 years depends entirely on how the ground-level joint is handled. These stone posts are one answer to that problem. They exist to make the thing last, not to be admired.

The openwork reads best in the afternoon, when the light falls on the face of the doors rather than through them. The south gate sits square on the approach, so waiting for a gap in the foot traffic is worth it.

Seeing Muko Shrine South Gate, North Gate and Sacred Fence

Muko Shrine South Gate, North Gate and Sacred Fence stands in the open, so it can be seen from within the grounds at any hour. The inner precinct beyond the gates is not normally accessible. The gates are usually shut, and the view of the shelter comes through the openwork of the doors.

To follow the full run of the fence, start at the south gate and work east and round to the north gate. Fifty-two metres means little as a number; walked, it becomes the size of the inner precinct. It is also the way to check whether the diamond lattice keeps its spacing the whole way round, which it does.

Photography is normally permitted. A square-on shot of the doors catches the openwork pattern, but choose a spot that leaves the approach clear. Directions and opening conditions are covered on the Muko Shrine page.