About Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate
Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate (極楽寺山門, Gokuraku-ji Sanmon) is a timber gate built between 1751 and 1830, in the later Edo period, at Gokurakuji, a Jodo Buddhist temple in Wakabacho, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2011.
It stands at the northern edge of the temple grounds. The gate has a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof clad in sheet metal and an opening 2.7 metres wide, and it was repaired in 2010. Like the bell tower, it is classed in the national register as a structure rather than a building.
Why Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate Was Registered
Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls its form unusual, pointing among other things to the position of the roof ridge between the main posts and the rear posts.
The frame consists of main posts at the front and supporting posts behind them. The main posts are rectangular in section (gohei) and stand 2.7 metres apart; the rear posts stand 2.1 metres behind. Kabuki lintels and beams tie the posts together.
The ridge sits neither over the main posts nor over the rear posts, but midway between the two, and that placement is what gives Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate its distinctive profile when seen from the side.
Details to Look for at Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate
Three-block Mitsudo-gumi bracket sets sit on the posts, with a Kaerumata frog-leg strut between them. The gable is decorated with a Taiheizuka vase-shaped strut flanked by scrolling Oigata boards, and the eaves use two layers of closely spaced rafters.
For a gate only 2.7 metres wide, that is a dense collection of temple-style details. Compare the front, around the lintel, with the gable ends on the sides.
A side view is also the easiest way to confirm that the ridge runs midway between the front and rear posts, the feature the national register describes as unusual.
Visiting Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate
The JR Shin'etsu Main Line runs about 20 metres north of Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate. If you walk around to the north side of the gate, take care not to enter railway land.
Visitors are asked to contact Gokurakuji before coming (0257-23-2233, Japanese); ask about photography at the same time. Directions are on the Gokurakuji Temple page.
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Q&A
- Where is Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate?
- At the northern edge of the Gokurakuji grounds. The JR Shin'etsu Main Line runs about 20 metres north of the gate.
- What is distinctive about the form of Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate?
- It has rectangular-section main posts and rear supporting posts, with the roof ridge placed midway between them, a form the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes as unusual.
- How big is Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate?
- The opening is 2.7 metres wide, and the rear posts stand 2.1 metres behind the main posts. The gabled roof is clad in sheet metal.
- When was Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate built?
- In the later Edo period, between 1751 and 1830. It was repaired in 2010.
- Is Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate a cultural property?
- Yes. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 28, 2011.
Basic Information
| Name | Gokurakuji Temple Main Gate (Gokuraku-ji Sanmon) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1 Wakabacho, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Buildings and Structures) |
| Year Designated | 2011-10-28 (registered; Registration No. 15-0360) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, sheet-metal roof, opening 2.7 metres wide (2.1 metres deep to the rear posts) |
| Owner | Gokurakuji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the temple grounds; contact the temple in advance (0257-23-2233) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Gokurakuji Main Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008851
- Cultural Heritage Online: Gokurakuji Main Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/174184
- Cultural Properties of Kashiwazaki (Kashiwazaki City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kashiwazaki.lg.jp/soshikiichiran/kyoikuiinkai/hakubutsukan/1/23/2/4277.html
- Gokurakuji (Kashiwazaki Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://www.uwatt.com/detail/1079/index.html
- OpenStreetMap: Shin'etsu Main Line (track position near the gate)
- https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/582974723
Last verified: 2026.09.16
