Komyoji Temple Main Gate

What Is Komyoji Temple Main Gate?

Komyoji Temple Main Gate (光明寺山門, Kōmyō-ji Sanmon) is the front gate of Komyoji, a Jodo Shu (Pure Land) Buddhist temple in Shitaderamachi, Tennoji Ward, Osaka City; built in 1866, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) of Japan in 2008. It is a tiled timber gate of the type called Yakuimon, one bay wide with an opening of 3.2 meters, and it is flanked on both sides by short walls (Sodobei) fitted with small wicket doors (Kugurido).

The gate faces west onto Matsuyamachi-suji avenue. Walk along this stretch of Shitaderamachi and you pass gate after gate of neighboring temples; Komyoji Temple Main Gate marks the way into Komyoji among them.

Why Komyoji Temple Main Gate Was Registered

Komyoji Temple Main Gate was registered for its contribution to Japan's historic landscape. Matsuyamachi-suji is lined with temple gates, and the same 2008 registration added several of the neighboring gates as well. Komyoji's is valued as one of the pieces that make up that street front.

The year 1866 fell just two years before the Meiji era began. The gate is 160 years younger than the Main Hall and the most recent of Komyoji's three registered buildings with a firm date. Its details show how much care late-Edo carpenters lavished even on a modest gate.

What to Look for at the Main Gate

The roof is a simple gable (Kirizuma-zukuri) laid with round-and-flat tiles (Hongawarabuki). In a yakuimon the two main posts are backed by a second pair of rear posts, and the ridge sits forward of the midpoint between the two pairs.

The thing to study at Komyoji Temple Main Gate is how the beams project from the main posts. The lower beam is inserted into the post and shaped like a bracket arm; on the upper beam above it sit a bearing block and bracket arm that carry a curved tie beam (Kōryō) and the eave purlin. From the pavement, look up under the gate and you can see the lower and upper beams stacked in two tiers.

In the gable, a curved tie beam supports a vase-shaped strut (Taiheizuka) dressed with scrolled side panels (Oigata). The eaves have a single layer of closely spaced rafters (Taruki), which makes the roof edge look light. The ceiling under the gate is a flat board ceiling (Kagami-tenjō), and in the spaces between the bracket sets a carved dragon has been fitted. Pause before you step through and look up for it.

Visiting Komyoji Temple Main Gate

Komyoji Temple Main Gate can be seen from the Matsuyamachi-suji pavement at any time. The dragon and the beam work only become clear when you stand right under the gate, but since the gate is the temple's entrance, look quickly and keep the way clear. The avenue carries steady traffic, so stay on the pavement when you photograph the full gate.

The temple does not publish guidance on passing through the gate into the grounds; if you would like to go in, ask in advance. Directions from the nearest stations and visiting conditions for the temple as a whole are on the Komyoji Temple page.