Nijūmon

Nijūmon (二重門, lit. two-story gate) 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.^[1] This gate is distinguishable from its relative by the roof above the first floor which skirts the entire upper story, absent in a rōmon.^[2] Accordingly, it has a series of brackets (tokyō) supporting the roof's eaves both at the first and at the second story.^[3] In a rōmon, the brackets support a balcony. The tokyō are usually three-stepped (mitesaki) with tail rafters at the third step.^[3] A nijūmon is normally covered by a hip-and-gable roof.^[2]

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 (山廊), 2 x 1 bay structures housing the stairs.^[2] 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.^[4] 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.^[2] Smaller ones are 3 x 2 bays and have one, two or even three entrances.^[2]

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.^[3] The sanmon, the gate of a Zen temple of highest prestige, is usually a nijūmon.^{[note 1]} Some nijūmon are called chūmon (中門, lit. middle gate) because they are situated between the entrance and the temple.^[2]

Gallery

The Niōmon of Kōmyō-ji in Ayabe (National Treasure)
A nijūmon. Note the double roof.
A rōmon. Note the balcony and the single roof.
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.

The sanmon
The stairs to the second story
The second story
Second story, exit to the balcony
Sacred images in the main room

Notes

^ The term sanmon originated at Zen temples, but is often used by other sects too, particularly by the Jōdo sect.

References

^ Fujita & Koga 2008, pp. 84–85
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "nijuumon". JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hamashima, Masashi (1999). Jisha Kenchiku no Kanshō Kiso Chishiki (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shibundō. pp. 105–107.
^ Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten

Bibliography

Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten (岩波日本史辞典), CD-Rom Version. Iwanami Shoten, 1999-2001 (in Japanese)
"Nijuumon". JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
Fujita Masaya, Koga Shūsaku, ed. (April 10, 1990). Nihon Kenchiku-shi (in Japanese) (September 30, 2008 ed.). Shōwa-dō. ISBN 4-8122-9805-9.

[5] The term sanmon originated at Zen temples, but is often used by other sects too, particularly by the Jōdo sect.

[nk-1] Fujita & Koga 2008, pp. 84–85

[jaanus-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "nijuumon". JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System. Retrieved 2010-06-22.

[hamashima-3] Hamashima, Masashi (1999). Jisha Kenchiku no Kanshō Kiso Chishiki (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shibundō. pp. 105–107.

[INJ-4] Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten

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[note 1]