At Menuma Shodenzan: Niomon Gate
The Kangiin Niomon Gate (歓喜院仁王門) is a gate built in 1894 at Menuma Shodenzan Kangiin Temple in Menuma, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 May 2017.
The Kangiin Niomon Gate stands at the inner end of the approach, directly in front of the Shodendo. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey timber structure, copper roof, building area 75 square meters.
It is a large gate five bays wide with three passageways, housing a pair of Nio guardian figures to left and right, under an Irimoya-zukuri hipped-and-gabled roof of copper sheet laid with battens.
Why It Was Registered
The Kangiin Niomon Gate carries registration number 11-0166 and was registered on the same day as the other eight structures in the precinct, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
It frames the front of the Shodendo, the heart of the precinct, and is the last gate worshippers pass through before the hall. Though a mid-Meiji building, it lavishes care on its carving and bracketing.
What to Look For
Projecting Beam Ends
Above the round pillars, the ends of the tie beams and the capping plates project outward, at the corners and along the faces alike. The eaves rest on one-step demigumi brackets, with Kaerumata frog-leg struts set between the columns.
Birds and Flowers Over the Centre
The tie beam over the central bay carries finely carved birds and flowers. Look up at it before you walk through the middle passage.
Visiting
The Kangiin Niomon Gate stands on the approach, so anyone entering the precinct passes through it and can see it at close range. The precinct is always open and free.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kangiin Niomon Gate
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- Can you visit the Kangiin Niomon Gate?
- The Kangiin Niomon Gate stands on the approach, so anyone entering the precinct passes through it and can see it at close range. The precinct is always open and free.
- When was the Kangiin Niomon Gate built and registered?
- A gate built in 1894, registered on 2 May 2017 as number 11-0166.
- How is the Kangiin Niomon Gate built?
- Single-storey timber structure, copper roof, building area 75 square meters.
- What is enshrined in the Kangiin Niomon Gate?
- A pair of Nio guardian figures, one on each side.
- What carving should you look for on the Kangiin Niomon Gate?
- The finely carved birds and flowers on the central tie beam, and the frog-leg struts between the columns.
Basic Information
| Name | Kangiin Niomon Gate (歓喜院仁王門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1511 Menuma, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/5/2 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber structure, copper roof, building area 75 square meters |
| Owner | Kangiin (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Precinct always open and free (exterior viewing) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Kangiin Niomon Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011455
- Cultural Heritage Online, Kangiin Niomon Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/246701
- Tourism Resources of Kumagaya (Saitama Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/soshiki/b0110/hokubutiikinogaiyou/gunmadc-kankousozai-kumagaya.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
