What Is Choonji Temple Main Gate?
Choonji Temple Main Gate (潮音寺山門, Chōon-ji Sanmon) is a wooden gate from around the end of the 18th century, in the late Edo period, at Choonji Temple in Kowada, Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture, and was entered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 27, 2018. It has a tiled roof and a frontage of 2.9 meters.
The Choonji Temple Main Gate stands east of the main hall. It is a Shikyakumon, or four-legged gate, under a gabled roof in the Kirizuma-zukuri style. Ojiya City describes it as a single-bay gate with one passage, which makes it a compact entrance by temple standards.
Why the Main Gate Was Registered
The gate was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. As the structure that marks the way into Chōonji, it shapes how the temple grounds and their surroundings read.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the gate is carved down to its smallest parts and shows a well-ordered design. Small as it is, the bracketing and gable ornament were not skimped, and the result is unusually dense work for a gate of this size.
No dated record has been cited for the Choonji Temple Main Gate. Ojiya City places it around the end of the 18th century on the evidence of its carved motifs, which include young leaves, whorls and jewels, and the Agency's database lists it simply as late Edo. Since the temple's Kannon Hall was built in 1817, the gate is likely several decades older than its neighbor.
The Frame of a Four-Legged Gate
A shikyakumon takes its name from the four auxiliary posts, or Hikaebashira, set in pairs in front of and behind its two main pillars; the auxiliary posts are counted as the four legs. At the Choonji Temple Main Gate, the main pillars and the auxiliary posts are all round in section. Many gates of this type use square auxiliary posts, so the six matching round columns here are a mark of care.
At their tops the pillars are tied together by a head tie beam (kashiranuki) and a plate (daiwa). Above them sit Mitsudo-gumi bracket sets, in which three bearing blocks ride on a bracket arm to carry the beam above. Between the pillars, the intercolumnar spaces hold three-block brackets fitted with kobana, arm ends carved into a shape like a clenched fist, so even these secondary members were given carving.
The Gable Ends and Their Carving
The most elaborate work on the Choonji Temple Main Gate is on the gable ends, the triangular faces of the roof at either side. Here a sashihijiki, a bracket arm inserted into the main pillar, projects outward and carries a bearing block with a dish-shaped base, then a sanehijiki bracket, and together they support the head tie beam. The load is gathered by an arm plugged into the pillar and lifted in stages.
At the center of each gable stands a Taiheizuka, a strut swelling like a vase, flanked by Oigata, flat scrolling carvings set on either side. The leaf, whorl and jewel motifs that Ojiya City uses to date the gate are cut into details like these.
Visiting the Choonji Temple Main Gate
The Choonji Temple Main Gate stands within the temple grounds, and its exterior can be seen freely. From the front you can pick out the three-block brackets and the fist-shaped kobana between the pillars. Step around to either side to see the stacked brackets of the gable end and the carved vase strut with its scrolls; looking up at the gable at an angle from below works best.
No admission fee is posted. This is a working temple where memorial services are held, so pass through the gate quietly. There is no published policy on photography; during ceremonies, follow the temple's instructions.
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Q&A
- When was the Choonji Temple Main Gate built?
- No dated record survives in the published sources. Its carved motifs point to around the end of the 18th century, in the late Edo period.
- Why is the Choonji Temple Main Gate a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on March 27, 2018, for its contribution to the historic landscape, as the gate that frames the entrance to the temple.
- What is a four-legged gate like the Choonji Temple Main Gate?
- A gate with two main pillars, each with an auxiliary post in front and behind. At Choonji all six are round columns, and the roof is gabled and tiled.
- What should I look at on the Choonji Temple Main Gate?
- The gable ends at the sides, where stacked brackets support the head tie beam and a vase-shaped strut is flanked by scrolling oigata carvings.
- How big is the Choonji Temple Main Gate?
- It is 2.9 meters wide at the front, with a single passage.
Basic Information
| Name | Choonji Temple Main Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 961 Okada, Kowada, Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture (spelled 小栗田 in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 27, 2018 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Frontage 2.9 meters |
| Owner | Choonji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable within the temple grounds; no admission fee posted |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Choonji Main Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012140
- Cultural Heritage Online: Choonji Main Gate (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/442949
- Ojiya City: Choonji Kannon Hall and Main Gate (Japanese)
- https://www.city.ojiya.niigata.jp/soshiki/nigiwai/tyouonji.html
- Ojiya Web Museum (Ojiya City): Choonji Main Gate (Japanese)
- https://jmapps.ne.jp/ojiya_archive/det.html?data_id=4700
Last verified: 2026.10.03
