Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate: A Thatched Gate Dated 1522
The Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate (苗村神社楼門, Namura Jinja Romon) is a late Muromachi period gate at the entrance to the west precinct of Namura Shrine in Ayado, Ryuo Town, Gamo District, Shiga Prefecture, dated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to 1522 and designated an Important Cultural Property on 18 February 1904.
It is a romon of 3 bays with 1 doorway: the front is divided into three by posts, and the central bay is the passage. The roof is hip-and-gable and thatched (Kayabuki). Two old timbers are designated with it as Tsuketari, or appended items.
A romon is a two-storey gate in which only the upper storey carries a roof; the lower storey has none of its own. At Namura Shrine that single roof is neither tile nor cypress bark but thatch.
A Firmly Dated Gate at Namura Shrine
What gives the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate its weight as evidence is a date. The Agency's database records a specific year, 1522. The East Main Hall and the two precinct shrines nearby are only placed within the mid-Muromachi period, so the gate is one of the few buildings here that can be pinned to a year.
It was also among the first to be listed: the gate was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1904, together with the Hachiman precinct shrine, two years after the West Main Hall was listed in 1902. The Agency's record gives no description of the two appended old timbers, and which parts of the gate they came from could not be confirmed.
Ryuo Town's tourism association counts the view of the thatched gate rising above the rice fields among the town's eight scenic sights, the Ryuo Hakkei.
What to Look For at the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate
You see the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate head-on as soon as you reach the car park, so take in the whole from a distance first. Because the roof covers only the upper storey, the upper walls and the lower posts read as two stacked layers beneath it.
Every other designated building in the grounds, the West and East Main Halls and the storehouse alike, is roofed in cypress bark. The gate alone is thatched, which lets you compare the two materials within a few steps. Thatch sits thicker than bark, and the eaves line looks softer for it.
Once through, turn round. From the worship hall side you see the back of the gate; the shrine's own website includes a photograph taken from exactly there.
Visiting the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate
The Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate is the main entrance to the west precinct, and worshippers walk through it freely. No notice was found of the upper storey being opened to visitors.
There are no published rules on photography. The gate is also a thoroughfare, so if you set up a tripod, choose a spot that leaves the passage clear. Directions and general visiting information are on the Namura Shrine page.
Q&A
- When was the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as built in 1522, in the late Muromachi period.
- When was the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On 18 February 1904. Two old timbers are designated with it.
- What is the roof of the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate made of?
- Thatch, in a hip-and-gable form. As in all romon gates, only the upper storey is roofed.
- Can visitors walk through or climb the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate?
- Anyone can walk through it, as it is the main entrance to the west precinct. No opening of the upper storey has been announced.
- Where is the best place to view the Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate?
- See the front from the car park side, then pass through and look back from the worship hall to see the rear.
Basic Information
| Name | Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate (苗村神社楼門) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ayado, Ryuo Town, Gamo District, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | 1904/2/18 (Meiji 37) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with 2 old timbers) |
| Dimensions | 3-bay gate with 1 doorway, hip-and-gable, thatched |
| Owner | Namura Shrine |
| Public Access | Open to walk through; no upper-storey opening announced |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Namura Shrine Two-Storey Gate (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1495
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Namura Shrine West Main Hall (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1493
- Ryuo Town Tourism Association: Places to Visit in Ryuo (Japanese)
- https://ryuoh.org/meisyo/
- Namura Shrine official website: Guide to the Grounds (Japanese)
- https://namurajinjya.ryuoh.org/goannai.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
