A Muromachi gate in the sub-temple wall
The Horyuji Temple Great Bathhouse Front Gate (法隆寺大湯屋表門, Hōryū-ji Ōyuya Omotemon) in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, is an early Muromachi-period gate, built between about 1333 and 1392, designated an Important Cultural Property on December 22, 1942. It opens in the north side of the walls around the sub-temple block in the southwest corner of the Western Precinct; the national database records the wall running 52.4 meters east and 67.1 meters west of it.
It is a four-legged gate with a gabled tile roof and, as the name says, the front gate of the temple's Great Bathhouse.
Older than its walls
The Horyuji Great Bathhouse Front Gate is older than the walls on either side, which were built between 1615 and 1681. The gate came first, and the walls were joined to it later when the sub-temple block was laid out.
A four-legged gate has two main posts braced front and back by four auxiliary posts, and was used widely for formal temple entrances. A medieval example surviving as the entrance to a block of monks' quarters is what gives this one its value.
See it with the bathhouse
Behind the gate stands the Great Bathhouse, built in 1605 and also an Important Cultural Property. Gate and bathhouse together show how the facilities that supported daily monastic life were laid out.
From the side you can read the main and auxiliary posts and the gabled roof structure. Notice too how the walls meet the gate.
Visiting
The gate can be seen from the paths through the grounds. The area behind it is not open to the public.
Hours, tickets and directions are on the Horyuji page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Horyuji Temple Great Bathhouse Front Gate?
- In the north side of the walls around the sub-temple block in the southwest of the Western Precinct.
- When was the Horyuji Great Bathhouse Front Gate built?
- In the early Muromachi period, between about 1333 and 1392; it is older than the walls beside it.
- What type of gate is the Horyuji Great Bathhouse Front Gate?
- A four-legged gate, with two main posts and four auxiliary posts, under a gabled tile roof.
- Can you go through the Horyuji Great Bathhouse Front Gate?
- No. The area behind it is closed, but the gate can be seen from the paths.
- Is the Horyuji Great Bathhouse Front Gate an Important Cultural Property?
- Yes. It was designated on December 22, 1942.
Basic Information
| Name | Horyuji Temple Great Bathhouse Front Gate (Hōryū-ji Ōyuya Omotemon) |
|---|---|
| Location | Horyuji Sannai, Ikaruga, Ikoma District, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | 1942/12/22 (Showa 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Four-legged gate, gabled roof, tile roof |
| Owner | Horyuji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior only |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — Horyuji Great Bathhouse Front Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2716
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — Horyuji Southwest Sub-Temple Walls (North)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2726
- Cultural Heritage Online — Horyuji Great Bathhouse Front Gate
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/db/heritages/detail/190553
Last verified: 2026.10.01
