A Late Muromachi Gate Restored as Two Storeys
The Kongoji Temple Niomon Gate (金剛寺仁王門) is the two-storey gate of Takahata Fudoson of the late Muromachi period in Takahata, Hino City, Tokyo, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on November 29, 1946 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a three-bay, single-passage two-storey gate with a hip-and-gable roof of copper sheet in the form of thatch; designation number 01552.
The 1946 date in the Agency record is that of its designation under the former law.
A Gate Restored to Two Storeys
The Kongoji Temple Niomon Gate is the three-bay, single-passage two-storey gate of Takahata Fudoson Kongoji (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the temple, it was built after the Fudo Hall; planned as a two-storey gate, it was changed during construction, and it was restored to the two-storey form when it was dismantled and repaired in 1959.
The temple notes that the guardian kings in the gate are of the Muromachi period and that the plaque reading Takahatasan on the upper storey is in the hand of the early Edo monk Unpyo.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency record has no commentary; the structure and date set out what was designated. It is a three-bay, single-passage two-storey gate of the late Muromachi period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Look for the hip-and-gable copper roof shaped like thatch and the Takahatasan plaque on the upper storey (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Kongoji).
Visiting
It is owned by Kongoji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the temple, it is a 5-minute walk from Takahatafudo Station on the Keio Line and the Tama Monorail. No official information on visiting hours for the grounds was found. The gate and the Fudo Hall are introduced together on the Kongoji Temple (Takahata Fudoson) page.
Q&A
- When was the gate built?
- In the late Muromachi period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of gate is it?
- A three-bay, single-passage two-storey gate.
- When was it restored as two storeys?
- In the dismantling repair of 1959 (Kongoji).
- Who wrote the plaque on the upper storey?
- The early Edo monk Unpyo (Kongoji).
- When was the Kongoji Temple Niomon Gate designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On November 29, 1946 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kongoji Temple Niomon Gate (金剛寺仁王門) |
|---|---|
| Location | Takahata, Hino City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1946/11/29 (Showa 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Three-bay, single-passage two-storey gate, hip-and-gable, copper roof in thatch form |
| Owner | Kongoji Temple |
| Public Access | 5 minutes on foot from Takahatafudo Station (Kongoji) |
References
- Kongoji Temple Niomon Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/571
- Temple Grounds (Takahata Fudoson Kongoji)
- https://www.takahatafudoson.or.jp/?page_id=13
- History (Takahata Fudoson Kongoji)
- https://www.takahatafudoson.or.jp/?page_id=4681
Last verified: 2026.10.23
