Niomon Gate 仁王門

Official explanation

The closest gate to the Shodendo main hall is the Niomon Gate, named for the two red Nio figures on either side of the gate. The Nio are wrathful deities and are guardians of Buddhism. They are commonly found standing guard at the entrance to Buddhist temples. The figures were carved in 1658, and the gate was likely built at the same time. The gate was reconstructed after it was crushed by a ginkgo tree toppled by a typhoon in 1891. The Nio figures survived the damage.

The wide wooden gate has a hip and gable roof, covers an area of 75 square meters and is supported by 12 posts. The eaves are carved with birds and plants. The Niomon Gate is a Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.