Sofukuji Temple Sanmon Gate

The Dragon Palace Gate

The Sofukuji Temple Sanmon Gate (崇福寺三門(楼門)) is the two-storey gate of Sofukuji, a Chinese temple in Nagasaki, known as the Ryugu-mon (Dragon Palace Gate) of 1849 in Kajiyamachi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on April 14, 1906 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a two-storey gate three bays by two with a hip-and-gable tiled roof and side gates; designation number 00352.

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

The Gate Called Ryugu-mon

The Sanmon of Sofukuji in Kajiyamachi, Nagasaki City, is a two-storey gate of 1849 at the front of the temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is three bays by two, with a hip-and-gable roof of tiles and side gates on either side.

According to a Nagasaki City feature, the gate is also called the Ryugu-mon, or Dragon Palace Gate; it burned down twice before, and the shachi on its roof are said to guard against fire. 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 record has no commentary; the date, 1849, and its form, a two-storey gate with a hip-and-gable tiled roof and side gates, set out what was designated.

What to Look For

At the Sanmon, look for the gate's dragon-palace form and the shachi on its roof (Nagasaki City).

Visiting

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