Two-Story Gate with Guardians 守護者を擁する二階建ての門

Official explanation

Traditionally, Buddhist temples were built on a north-to-south axis, with the main entrance at the south end of the temple precincts. This two-story gate (romon) with a hip-and-gable roof forms the southern entrance to the temple. First constructed in 1596 by the local daimyo Mohri Terumoto, the gate was completely rebuilt by another member of the family, Mohri Shigenari, in 1767. The gate is a decade or two older than the main hall.

On either side of the gate stand two muscular, terror-inspiring guardians known as Nio (two kings) or Kongo Rikishi (mighty wrestlers) dating back to the Muromachi period (1336–1573). Their role is to protect the temple and the religion of Buddhism. The inside of the gate is decorated with carvings of vegetables and ears of rice to promote rich harvests. The current gate was repaired once in 1911 and then dismantled, restored, and rebuilt in 1956.

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.