Nijūmon
Type of gate in a Shinto shrine
title: "Nijūmon" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["gates-in-japan", "japanese-architectural-features", "japanese-buddhist-architecture"] description: "Type of gate in a Shinto shrine" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nijūmon" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Type of gate in a Shinto shrine ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Tofukuji-Sanmon-M9589.jpg" caption="National Treasure]])"] ::
Nijūmon is one of two types of two-story mons presently used in Japan (the other one being the rōmon) and can be found at most Japanese Buddhist temples. This gate is distinguishable from its relative by the roof above the first floor which skirts the entire upper story, absent in a rōmon.{{cite web | url = http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus//deta/n/nijuumon.htm | title = nijuumon | publisher = JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System | access-date = 2010-06-22
Unlike a rōmon, whose second story is inaccessible and unusable, a nijūmon has stairs leading to the second story. Some gates have at their ends two sanrō, 2 x 1 bay structures housing the stairs. The second story of a nijūmon usually contains statues of Shakyamuni or of goddess Kannon, and of the 16 Rakan, and hosts periodical religious ceremonies. Large ''nijūmon''' are 5 bays wide, 2 bays deep and have three entrances, however Tokyo's Zōjō-ji, the Tokugawa clan's funerary temple, has a gate which is 5 x 3 bays. Smaller ones are 3 x 2 bays and have one, two or even three entrances.
Of all temple gate types, the nujūmon has the highest status, and is accordingly used for important gates like the chūmon (middle gate) of ancient temples as Hōryū-ji. Some nijūmon are called because they are situated between the entrance and the temple.
Gallery
File:Koumyouji5501.JPG|The Niōmon of Kōmyō-ji in Ayabe (National Treasure) File:Kenchoji Gate.jpg|A nijūmon. Note the double roof. File:Hannyaji Romon01.jpg|A rōmon. Note the balcony and the single roof. File:Tofukiji-Sanro.jpg|One of the sanrō of Tōfuku-ji's sanmon (detail of the photo above)
Second story
Some interior images of the second story of a nijūmon, in this case Kōmyō-ji's sanmon in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture.
File:Komyoji Second Gate-Kamakura.jpg|The sanmon File:Komyoji,-Kamakura gate stairs.jpg|The stairs to the second story File:Kamakura Komyoji Inside The Sanmon 3.jpg|The second story File:Kamakura Komyoji Sanmon 2.jpg|Second story, exit to the balcony File:Kamakura Komyoji Inside-the-sanmon-1.jpg|Sacred images in the main room
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten (岩波日本史辞典), CD-Rom Version. Iwanami Shoten, 1999-2001 (in Japanese)
- {{cite web | url = http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/r/roumon.htm | title = Nijuumon | publisher = JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System | access-date = 2009-06-19 |ref=CITEREFjaanus
- {{cite book | title=Nihon Kenchiku-shi | editor=Fujita Masaya, Koga Shūsaku | publisher=Shōwa-dō | date=April 10, 1990 | edition=September 30, 2008 | isbn=4-8122-9805-9 | language=ja |ref=CITEREFFujitaKoga2008
References
- {{Harvnb. Fujita. Koga. 2008
- Hamashima, Masashi. (1999). "Jisha Kenchiku no Kanshō Kiso Chishiki". Shibundō.
- Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten
- The ''[[sanmon]]'', the gate of a [[Zen]] temple of highest prestige, is usually a ''nijūmon''.The term ''sanmon'' originated at Zen temples, but is often used by other sects too, particularly by the [[Jōdo]] sect.
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