Yusanji Temple Gate: A Castle Gate That Found a Second Life
The two-story gate that greets visitors at the foot of Yusanji's approach was never meant for a temple. It began as the Ote Ni-no-mon, the second of the main gates of Kakegawa Castle, raised in 1659 (Manji 2) under the castle lord Ii Naoyoshi. When Kakegawa Castle was taken down after the Meiji Restoration, the gate was dismantled, moved roughly six kilometers south, and rebuilt here in 1873 (Meiji 6) as the entrance to a mountain temple.
That unusual origin shows in the official record. The national register lists the structure under the category of castle architecture rather than temple architecture, even though it now opens onto a Buddhist precinct. It is the only castle gate of its period still standing in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The form is what specialists call a yagura-mon, a fortified gate with an enclosed turret room set above the passage. A small wicket door (the katakuguri) is built into one side for everyday use. The roof is irimoya, a hip-and-gable design, finished in hongawara tiling that alternates broad pan tiles with rounded cover tiles. Eaves project from both the front and the back, a detail rarely seen on gates of this type.
Why It Was Designated
Yusanji's gate was named an Important Cultural Property on September 17, 1954. The case for protection rests less on decoration than on what the building documents about seventeenth-century castle construction. An inscription written in ink on the underside of the ceiling records the 1659 date and Ii Naoyoshi's role, which gives the gate a firm, written origin rather than a legendary one. Most castle gates of this scale were lost when domains were abolished and fortresses cleared in the early Meiji years, so a survivor with documentation attached is rare.
The scale rewards a close look. The frontage measures about nine meters and the depth about 4.55 meters. The pillars are squared timbers more than sixty centimeters on a side. The door leaves are single boards of knot-free camphor wood, each roughly 1.2 meters wide and 2.4 meters tall, cut from trunks large enough that no joins were needed. The upper turret room covers the area of twenty-five tatami mats.
Two shachi, the mythical fish-bodied creatures that crown castle roofs as a charm against fire, sit at the ends of the main ridge. They carry a separate designation as attached items. The pair made in 1659 has been retired indoors and is displayed in the temple's hojo (abbot's quarters); the figures now on the roof are replacements made during later repairs.
What to Look For
Stand back on the approach before walking through. From a few paces away the gate reads as a small fortress dropped into a forest: white plaster walls, heavy tiled roof, the dark squared frame of the turret above the opening. The contrast between the military bearing of the structure and the quiet cedar woods around it is the whole point of the place.
The reason this castle gate ended up at this particular temple is worth knowing as you pass under it. Yusanji has been venerated for more than a thousand years as a temple for eye ailments, and the gate was a gift of gratitude. When Kakegawa Castle was decommissioned, its last lord, Ota Bitchu-no-kami, donated the gate to Yusanji as thanks after recovering from an eye disease. A fighting structure became an act of devotion.
The gate has not always looked as it does now. In 1923 the original tile roof was replaced with copper sheeting, and the building drifted from its 1659 appearance. A major restoration in 1970 and 1971 returned it to tile and to its early-Edo form, and further roof and earthquake-resistance work was carried out in 2015. What you see today is close to what stood at Kakegawa in the seventeenth century.
Around the Temple
Passing the gate is only the start of a climb. Yusanji spreads up a hillside, and reaching the upper Yakushido hall from the temple office means about ten minutes on forested slopes and mossy stone steps. The walk passes Ruri Falls, where, by temple tradition, Empress Koken washed her eyes in the eighth century and was cured, the event that fixed the temple's reputation for eye healing.
Near the summit stands a vermilion three-story pagoda, rebuilt in 1611 and also an Important Cultural Property. It is counted among the finest pagodas of the Momoyama era, alongside examples at Chomeiji in Shiga and Hoshakuji in Kyoto, and rises to roughly twenty-three meters with Zen-style detailing in its upper level.
Yusanji is one of the Enshu Sanzan, the three temples of the old Enshu region, together with Hattasan Soneiji and Kasuisai. All three are known for autumn color: at Yusanji about 1,500 maples turn over the gate and approach from late November into early December. The temple sits roughly six kilometers north of JR Fukuroi Station, about fifteen minutes by car from the Fukuroi interchange.
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Q&A
- Can I go up into the turret room above the gate?
- The twenty-five-tatami upper room is not generally open to visitors. The gate is meant to be appreciated from the approach below, where you can see the full structure and the shachi on the ridge.
- Why is a castle gate standing at a Buddhist temple?
- It was donated. After Kakegawa Castle was abolished in the early Meiji period, the last lord, Ota Bitchu-no-kami, gave the gate to Yusanji in 1873 as thanks for recovering from an eye disease, fitting for a temple long associated with eye healing.
- Where are the original shachi ornaments?
- The pair cast in 1659 has been brought indoors for protection and is displayed in the temple's hojo. The shachi currently on the roof are later replacements installed during restoration work.
- Is there an admission charge?
- Walking the precinct and passing through the gate is free. A fee of 200 yen applies for the hall viewing with a short Buddhist talk. Check current details with the temple before visiting.
- When is the best time to see the autumn leaves?
- Late November to early December is typical, when roughly 1,500 maples color the gate and approach. Timing shifts each year with the weather, so confirm with the temple or the Fukuroi tourism association.
Basic Information
| Name | Yusanji Temple Gate (Yusanji Sanmon) |
|---|---|
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Buildings), castle category |
| Designated | September 17, 1954 |
| Built | 1659 (Manji 2), by Ii Naoyoshi at Kakegawa Castle |
| Relocated | 1873 (Meiji 6), to Yusanji |
| Structure | Two-story yagura-mon with side wicket, eaves front and back, irimoya hip-and-gable roof, hongawara tile |
| Attached items | 2 shachi (separate designation) |
| Owner | Yusanji |
| Location | Muramatsu, Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Access | About 15 minutes by car from Fukuroi IC; roughly 6 km north of JR Fukuroi Station |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs (Yusanji Sanmon)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1155
- Shizuoka Cultural Property Navi, Shizuoka Prefecture (Yusanji Sanmon)
- https://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kankosports/bunkageijutsu/bunkazai/1002825/1041003/1041889/1004977/1021201.html
- Yusanji official website
- https://yusanji.jp/bunkazai/
- Fukuroi City official tourism information (Yusanji)
- https://www.city.fukuroi.shizuoka.jp/soshiki/syougyou/1/tera_jinja/11052.html
Last verified: 2026.06.03