Chotokuji Temple Main Gate and Wall

What Is Chotokuji Temple Main Gate and Wall?

Chotokuji Temple Main Gate and Wall (長徳寺山門及び塀, Chōtoku-ji Sanmon oyobi Hei) is the four-legged gate on the north side of the Chotokuji precinct in Daieicho, Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture, together with the wall on either side of it; built in 1841, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 27, 2017.

The gate is a tiled timber structure 3.0 meters wide. A small wicket door, Kugurido, is set on each side, and from there a tiled wall turns at a right angle, with a total length of 16 meters. It is the oldest of the five registered structures at Chotokuji, nine years older than the main hall.

Anatomy of a Four-Legged Gate

The gate of Chotokuji Temple Main Gate and Wall has a gabled roof, Kirizuma-zukuri, laid with pantiles, Sangawara-buki. It belongs to the type called Shikyakumon, a four-legged gate in which the two main posts that carry the doors are braced front and back by pairs of supporting posts.

The main posts are square; the supporting posts, Hikaebashira, are square with chamfered corners. Both are tied by lower and upper tie beams. In each gable, a vase-shaped strut, Taiheizuka, flanked by scrolled side boards called Oigata, carries the ridge beam. Seen from the front, that strut at the center of the gable triangle gives the gate its expression.

Curved Posts and Late Edo Detailing

The easiest feature of Chotokuji Temple Main Gate and Wall to miss is also its most distinctive. Below the lower tie beam, each supporting post curves slightly, adding a soft line at ground level that a straight post would not have.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the details show features of the late Edo period, which agrees with the construction date of 1841.

The gate and wall were registered as number 15-464 under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country. Together, gate and wall make up the face the temple presents to the street.

Seeing Chotokuji Temple Main Gate and Wall

Because Chotokuji Temple Main Gate and Wall is the temple's entrance, it can be seen both from the street outside and from inside the grounds. The curve of the supporting posts is clearest from the side of the gate, at a low angle. For the gable strut and its scrolled boards, stand a few steps back in front of the gate.

Through the gate, the approach leads straight to the main hall, so starting here lets you continue directly to the bell tower and the main hall. Directions to the temple are on the Chotokuji Temple page.