Sofukuji Temple Maso Gate

A Gate to the Maso Hall

The Sofukuji Temple Maso Gate (崇福寺媽姐門) is an eight-legged gate also called the Bosatsu-mon, with the curved rafters typical of Obaku buildings of 1666 in Kajiyamachi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on May 15, 1972 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records an eight-legged gate three bays wide with three passages, under a hip-and-gable tiled roof; designation number 01868.

An Obaku-Style Gate

The Maso Gate of Sofukuji in Kajiyamachi, Nagasaki City, dates from 1666 and is also called the Bosatsu-mon (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is an eight-legged gate of three bays and three passages with a triple ridge, under a hip-and-gable roof of tiles.

Its front has an exposed ceiling of curved rafters, a feature often seen in Obaku buildings, and is of note in design (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The name is read masomon, and a Nagasaki City feature leads visitors through the gate to the Maso hall. Sofukuji is one of the three Chinese temples of Nagasaki and a well-known temple of the Obaku school of Zen (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A Nagasaki City feature calls it the red Chinese temple, and its precinct includes the First Peak Gate and the Daiyuhoden.

Why It Is an Important Cultural Property

The Agency values the gate as an important element in the temple's architectural landscape.

What to Look For

At the gate, look for the curved rafters of its front ceiling and its triple-ridged eight-legged form (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

The gate is owned by Sofukuji (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on opening hours or fees was found.