A Tall Koraimon at the Head of the Approach
Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate is the outer gate of a Jodo Shinshu Honganji-ha branch temple in Yokkaichi, Usa City, Oita Prefecture, built in the late Edo period between 1830 and 1868 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
It stands east of the Main Gate, where the approach leaves the street. The type is koraimon: a single bay with a gabled roof over the main posts and separate small gabled roofs over the rear braces. The frontage is 4.2 metres and the roof is tiled, with a single row of closely spaced rafters.
What distinguishes Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate is its height. The posts are long, so the angle at which you look up while passing through is steeper than it needs to be. The proportions announce that you have entered the approach.
A Castle Form on a Temple
The koraimon developed as a castle gate, and it is not a common choice for a temple's outer gate. Using it here makes sense as a way of marking, unmistakably, where the street of the temple town stops and the precinct begins.
The detailing, though, is temple work. A carved frog-leg strut fills the space above the tie beam, and the gable is closed with a bulbous strut flanked by scrolled wings that carries the ridge purlin. The main posts are flattened square sections, the braces plain square ones, so even the cross-section of the timber is graded by role at Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate.
The listing criterion is contribution to the historic landscape, which fits: this is the first building anyone walking the Yokkaichi temple town sees.
Use the Gate as a Frame
The best view at Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate is not of the gate. Stand directly beneath it and face west, and the Main Gate and the main hall stack up one behind the other in a single line, because the east-west axis of the compound is dead straight. That nested composition exists only from this spot.
To read the structure, move off the axis to the north or south. Head on, a koraimon looks as though it has one roof; from an angle you can see the main gable and the two little brace roofs as separate pieces, and the gable strut becomes legible too.
The carved strut sits high. A moderate telephoto lens is worth carrying.
Visiting Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate
Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate stands at the entrance to the approach and is free to pass through and to look at. Being on the outer edge of the precinct, it can also be seen from the street outside opening hours.
There is no restriction on photography. The lane in front is a working street for the temple town, so do not linger in the middle of it. Framing the Main Gate and main hall through this gate means finding the composition quickly from the centre line of the approach.
Conditions for visiting the precinct and directions are given on the Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Oita
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate
- [ Beppu Hell Tour & Yufuin Onsen Hot Springs ]
Questions and Answers
- When was Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate built?
- In the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868.
- What kind of gate is Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate?
- A single-bay koraimon, with a gabled roof over the main posts and separate small roofs over the rear braces. It measures 4.2 metres across.
- How does Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate differ from the Main Gate?
- This is the outer gate at the head of the approach and is a koraimon; the Main Gate stands at the precinct front and is a four-legged gate. The Second Gate lies further east.
- What is worth seeing at Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate?
- Standing beneath it and facing west, the Main Gate and main hall line up behind one another. In detail, look for the carved frog-leg strut and the gable strut with scrolled wings.
- When did Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate become a cultural property?
- On 25 February 2016, together with the other ten buildings in the precinct.
Basic Information
| Name | Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 1410-1 Yokkaichi, Usa City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 25 February 2016 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Frontage 4.2 metres |
| Owner | Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | At the head of the approach; free to pass through and view |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin Second Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011026
- Usa City: List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.usa.oita.jp/sougo/soshiki/18/shakaikyoiku/3/bunkazai/2149.html
- Usa City: Higashi and Nishi Honganji Yokkaichi Betsuin
- https://www.city.usa.oita.jp/tourist/touristspot/touristspot2/touristspot3/10183.html
- Oita Prefecture: List of Nationally Designated and Selected Cultural Properties
- https://www.pref.oita.jp/kyoiku/tmp/bunka/post-101/1.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.13
