Mon (Gate)
Architecture門 ・ Reading: もん
Definition
The gate marking the threshold between the everyday world and the sacred grounds of a temple or shrine.
A mon serves as more than a doorway. In Buddhist temples it is often a large, roofed structure that frames the visitor's first view of the grounds, and passing beneath it is understood as a symbolic step out of the everyday world. Gates come in many forms, from the imposing two-storey sanmon of major Zen temples to the simpler roofed gates of smaller sites, and their size and style usually reflect the importance of the temple behind them.
Look up as you approach. Many larger gates house guardian figures set into recesses on either side of the passage, most famously the muscular Niō), whose fierce expressions are meant to ward off evil and protect what lies beyond. Some gates also carry a temple's name plaque, its crest, or hanging lanterns.
To tell a temple gate from a shrine entrance, watch for a roof and walls. A mon is an enclosed, roofed gate typical of temples, whereas a shrine is usually announced by a torii, an open gateway of two uprights and crossbars with no roof or walls. When walking through, it is customary to step to one side rather than down the very centre, a courtesy long observed at sacred sites.
Common questions
- What is the difference between a mon and a torii?
- A mon is a roofed, walled gate usually found at Buddhist temples, while a torii is the open, roofless gateway of uprights and crossbars that marks a Shinto shrine. Which one stands at the entrance is a quick clue to whether you are visiting a temple or a shrine.
- What are the statues inside temple gates?
- The fierce figures often standing in the openings of a temple gate are guardian statues, placed there to protect the sacred grounds and ward off evil. The best known are the muscular Nio, and they are a common feature of larger main gates.
- How should I walk through a temple gate?
- When passing through a temple gate, it is polite to keep to the side rather than walking straight down the very centre. Stepping slightly to the left or right is a courtesy long observed at sacred sites in Japan.