Rōmon

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title: "Rōmon" 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", "shinto-architecture"] description: "Type of gate in a Shinto shrine" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rōmon" 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/6/68/Hannyaji_Romon01.jpg" caption="National Treasure]]. Note the absence of stairs to the second story."] ::

The rōmon is one of two types of two-storied gates used in Japan (the other one being the nijūmon, see photo in the gallery below). Even though it was originally developed by Buddhist architecture, it is now used at both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Its otherwise normal upper story is inaccessible and therefore offers no usable space. It is in this respect similar to the tahōtō (a two-storied pagoda) and the multi-storied pagoda, neither of which offers, in spite of appearances, usable space beyond the first story. In the past, the name also used to be sometimes applied to double-roof gates.

This extremely common single-roof gate was developed from the double-roofed nijūmon, replacing the flanking roof above the first floor with a very shallow balcony with a balustrade that skirts the entire upper story. Therefore, while the nijūmon has a series of brackets (tokyō) supporting the roof's eaves both at the first and at the second story, in the rōmon at the first floor these brackets just support the balcony, and have a different structure. The tokyō are usually three-stepped (mitesaki), but at the first floor they lack tail rafters.

Rōmon structure can vary greatly in its details. The upper area behind the balustrade for example can have muntined windows or a single window in the center bay. Side bays can be covered with white plaster. Rōmon usually, but not always, have a hip-and-gable (irimoya) roof. Dimensions go from Tōdai-ji's 5 bays to the more common 3-bays, down to even one bay.

Gallery

File:Udo Jingu Roumon.jpg|A rōmon. Note the single roof. File:San-mon gate in Zenkoji temple at Nagano city Japan.jpg|A nijūmon. Note the double roof.

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 = Roumon | publisher = JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System | access-date = 2009-06-19 |ref=
• {{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
• {{cite book |last1= Young |first1= David |last2=Young |first2=Michiko |title= The art of Japanese architecture |series=Architecture and Interior Design |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ag5WpEKifGEC&q=shinto+architecture |access-date=2009-11-11 |year=2007 |orig-year=2004 |edition=illustrated, revised |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |isbn=978-0-8048-3838-2

References

1. {{Harvnb. Fujita. Koga. 2008
2. {{Harvnb. Fujita. Koga. 2008
3. Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten
4. {{Harvnb. Jaanus, "Roumon"
5. {{Harvnb. Young. Young. 2007
6. Hamashima, Masashi. (1999). "Jisha Kenchiku no Kanshō Kiso Chishiki". Shibundō.
7. For details, see the article [[Tokyō]]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::