The gate in front of the main hall
The Myokyoji Main Gate (妙教寺山門, Myōkyō-ji Sanmon) is a gate of 1921 facing west in front of the main hall at Saijo Inari Myokyoji in Takamatsu Inari, Kita Ward, Okayama City, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2009/01/08. Where the Niomon guards the foot of the approach, the Myokyoji Main Gate stands before the temple's Buddhist centre.
An Okayama City article names its carpenters as Ashida Kotaro and Akiyama Yoichi. The Taisho years were also when the guest hall and the Kanshoken went up, as the temple side of the grounds around the main hall took its present shape.
A gate that shows its frame
It is a yakuimon, a gate type in which front posts and rear posts share the roof and the ridge sits behind the main posts. This one is a single-bay example under a gabled roof of heavy tiles, with short walls on either side, and its opening is a generous 3.3 metres wide.
A crossbeam spans the main posts; from it, beams reach back, three-part bracket sets rise, and these lift the eave purlins and the curved tie beam and vase-shaped strut in the gable. The eaves are densely raftered in a deep double-and-a-half layer.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the carving is of good quality but used only on the frog-leg struts and the scrolled boards beside the gable strut, and calls the Myokyoji Main Gate structurally impressive. Compared with the subsidiary shrines up the hill, smothered in carving, its restraint is striking.
What to look for, and visiting
The Myokyoji Main Gate stands west of the main hall and can be seen and walked through at any time, free of charge. From the west, the width of the gate with its two side walls and the weight of the tiled roof are clearest.
Stand under the gate and look up to follow the load from crossbeam to beams to brackets, and find the carved boards flanking the gable strut. Walk through and the front of the main hall appears ahead. Opening hours and directions are on the Saijo Inari Myokyoji page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Myokyoji Main Gate
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- Where is the Myokyoji Main Gate?
- West of the main hall (Konpon Daido), facing west, directly in front of it.
- How is the Myokyoji Main Gate different from the Niomon?
- The Niomon is the reinforced-concrete gate on the main approach; the Myokyoji Main Gate is a timber gate of 1921 in front of the main hall.
- What type of gate is the Myokyoji Main Gate?
- A single-bay yakuimon with a gabled tiled roof and side walls, 3.3 metres wide.
- What should I look at on the main gate?
- The timber frame that carries the roof, and the fine carving confined to the frog-leg struts and gable boards.
- When was the main gate registered?
- On 2009/01/08.
Basic Information
| Name | Myokyoji Main Gate (妙教寺山門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 712 Takamatsu Inari, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 33-0176 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/01/08 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, gabled tiled roof; opening 3.3 metres wide, with side walls left and right |
| Owner | Saijo Inarisan Myokyoji (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Can be seen and passed through freely in the grounds (no charge) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Myokyoji Main Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007559
- Okayama City — Modern Japanese-style architecture at Saijo Inari Myokyoji, by Yasukawa Mitsuru (Japanese)
- https://www.city.okayama.jp/kankou/cmsfiles/contents/0000005/5279/000179262.pdf
- Saijo Inari official site — Guide to the grounds (Japanese)
- https://inari.ne.jp/guide/
- Saijo Inari official site — Konpon Daido (main hall) (Japanese)
- https://inari.ne.jp/facility/232/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
