The Front Gate of the Temple
The Kozanji Temple Main Gate (功山寺総門) is a Zen-style four-legged gate of the Muromachi period in Chofu Kawabata, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 23, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a tiled timber gate 4.4 metres wide; registration number 35-0044.
A Four-Legged Gate at the East Front
The Kozanji Temple Main Gate is a Zen-style four-legged gate whose main posts rise right up to the ridge, standing at the east front of the precinct that holds the Buddha hall (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Round posts on stones with circular seats are tied by rails, and boat-shaped bracket arms and eaves purlins set on the post heads carry the rafters.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that although the eaves have been much altered, the frame keeps the form of the mid-Muromachi period, and registered it as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce.
What to Look For
Look for the main posts that run up to the ridge and the stones with round seats beneath them (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Kozanji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The two structures, visiting and access are covered on the Kozanji Temple page. The Yamaguchi tourism site says the grounds are open to visitors.
Q&A
- When was the gate built?
- In the Muromachi period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What type of gate is it?
- A Zen-style four-legged gate with posts up to the ridge.
- Where is it?
- At the east front of the precinct of Kozanji.
- Is it unaltered?
- The eaves are much altered, but the frame keeps its mid-Muromachi form.
- When was the Kozanji Temple Main Gate registered?
- On July 23, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kozanji Temple Main Gate (功山寺総門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-2-3 Chofu Kawabata, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/07/23 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, 4.4 m wide |
| Owner | Kozanji Temple (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Grounds open to visitors (Yamaguchi tourism site) |
References
- Kozanji Temple Main Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004299
- Kozanji Temple (Yamaguchi tourism site, Japanese)
- https://yamaguchi-tourism.jp/spot/detail_10468.html
Last verified: 2026.10.21
