The Gate to the Central Compound
Kongoji Temple Romon Gate (金剛寺楼門, Kongō-ji Rōmon) is a two-storey gate of the late Kamakura period (1275 to 1332) at Amanosan Kongoji in Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture; it was designated by the national government on May 27, 1907, and is today an Important Cultural Property.
The Kongoji Temple Romon Gate stands at the entrance to the precinct and serves as the main gate of the central compound. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, an earthen wall built in 1700 runs 108.0 metres south from the gate, marking the edge of the compound.
The temple's history says the monk Akan restored the gate along with the main hall, the pagoda, and the refectory late in the Heian period. The gate that stands today is dated by the Agency to the late Kamakura period.
What a Romon Is
The Agency records the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate as a 3-bay, 1-passage romon with a hip-and-gable roof of round-and-flat tiles. The front is divided into 3 bays by its posts, and only the central bay is open as a passage.
A romon is a two-storey gate with a roof over the upper level only; the lower level has none. That sets it apart from a nijumon, which stacks a roof on each level. Look up at the gate and you will see the upper level resting directly on the lower, capped by a single hip-and-gable roof.
A ridge tablet is designated with the gate as an attached item. The temple says the gate houses statues of two guardian kings, Zochoten and Jikokuten, who protect the temple.
The 1907 designation was made under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law, as a "specially protected building." The gate became an Important Cultural Property when the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties took effect on August 29, 1950.
Repairs and the Marker Stone
The temple's conservation plan records a major repair of the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate in 1605 and further repairs in 1700. In the modern era it was partly dismantled and repaired in 1953.
A stone post stands in front of the gate. The plan explains that after the precinct became a national Historic Site in 1934, a marker inscribed "Historic Site, Kongoji Precinct" was set up before the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate in 1938 with a subsidy from the Ministry of Education.
Visiting the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate
On a visit to the central compound you pass through the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate. From outside, look up to see the eaves of the upper level and the outline of the roof, and look for the marker stone at its foot.
Ask at reception how the guardian statues can be viewed and whether photography is allowed. Directions, opening hours, and admission are on the Amanosan Kongoji Temple page.
Q&A
- What is enshrined in the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate?
- According to the temple, statues of the guardian kings Zochoten and Jikokuten.
- When was the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Kamakura period (1275 to 1332).
- What does "3-bay, 1-passage" mean for the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate?
- The front has 3 bays between its posts, and only the central 1 is a passage. The gate has two levels, with a tiled hip-and-gable roof over the upper level only.
- What is the stone post in front of the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate?
- According to the temple's conservation plan, it is a marker for the Historic Site of the Kongoji Precinct, erected in 1938.
- When did the Kongoji Temple Romon Gate become an Important Cultural Property?
- It was designated on May 27, 1907, and became an Important Cultural Property on August 29, 1950, when the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties took effect.
Basic Information
| Name | Kongoji Temple Romon Gate (金剛寺楼門) |
|---|---|
| Location | Amanocho, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 1907 (Meiji 40) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 3-bay, 1-passage two-storey gate; hip-and-gable roof with round-and-flat tiles |
| Owner | Kongoji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable as the entrance to the central compound |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji Romon (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/2193
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kongoji Romon
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/194850
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kongoji earthen wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/00005209
- Amanosan Kongoji official website (visitor information and highlights)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/
- Amanosan Kongoji: History
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/about/history/
- Historic Site Kongoji Precinct Conservation and Utilization Plan, cover to chapter 5 (PDF)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/site/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/%E5%8F%B2%E8%B7%A1%E9%87%91%E5%89%9B%E5%AF%BA%E5%A2%83%E5%86%85%E4%BF%9D%E5%AD%98%E6%B4%BB%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%88%E7%94%BB_%E8%BB%BD%E9%87%8F%E7%89%88%EF%BC%88%E8%A1%A8%E7%B4%99%EF%BD%9E%E7%AC%AC5%E7%AB%A0%EF%BC%89.pdf
- Historic Site Kongoji Precinct Conservation and Utilization Plan, chapter 6-1 (PDF)
- https://amanosan-kongoji.jp/site/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/%E5%8F%B2%E8%B7%A1%E9%87%91%E5%89%9B%E5%AF%BA%E5%A2%83%E5%86%85%E4%BF%9D%E5%AD%98%E6%B4%BB%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%88%E7%94%BB_%E8%BB%BD%E9%87%8F%E7%89%88%EF%BC%88%E7%AC%AC6%E7%AB%A0-1%EF%BC%89.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.21
