A Gate from Kakegawa Castle
The Yusanji Temple Sanmon Gate (油山寺山門) is a turret gate that stood below the palace entrance of Kakegawa Castle and was moved here after the castle was abandoned of 1659 in Muramatsu, Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on September 17, 1954 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey turret gate with a side wicket, front and rear eaves and a tiled hip-and-gable roof; designation number 01297.
The Lower Palace Gate of Kakegawa Castle
The Sanmon gate of Yusanji in Muramatsu, Fukuroi City, Shizuoka, dates from 1659 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a two-storey turret gate with a side wicket and eaves front and back, under a hip-and-gable roof of tiles.
According to Shizuoka Cultural Properties Navi, it was the main gate below the palace entrance of Kakegawa Castle, said to have been built by Ii Naoyoshi. When the castle was abandoned in 1872, the Ota lords gave it to the temple, which moved it here as its gate. It is about 9 metres wide and 4.55 metres deep, with a 25-mat upper floor and shachi ornaments on the ridge; it is said to be the only castle gate of its period left in the prefecture, and a repair in 1971 restored its original form.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
Shizuoka Cultural Properties Navi notes it as the only castle gate of its period left in the prefecture; the Agency record has no commentary.
What to Look For
At the gate, look for the turret-gate form of a castle and the shachi on its ridge (Shizuoka Navi).
Visiting
The gate is owned by Yusanji (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to Shizuoka Cultural Properties Navi, only the exterior can be seen, and there is parking.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1659 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where did it come from?
- Kakegawa Castle.
- When was it moved?
- When the castle was abandoned in 1872.
- What form does it take?
- A tiled two-storey turret gate.
- When was the Yusanji Temple Sanmon Gate designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On September 17, 1954 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Yusanji Temple Sanmon Gate (油山寺山門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3 Sakaimae, Muramatsu, Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1954/09/17 (Showa 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Turret gate with side wicket, front and rear eaves, hip-and-gable roof, tiled |
| Owner | Yusanji Temple |
| Public Access | Exterior only (Shizuoka Cultural Properties Navi) |
References
- Yusanji Temple Sanmon Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/1155
- Yusanji Sanmon Gate (Shizuoka Cultural Properties Navi, Shizuoka Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kankosports/bunkageijutsu/bunkazai/1002825/1041003/1041889/1004977/1021201.html
Last verified: 2026.11.12
