Nijūmon
Architecture二重門 ・ Reading: nijūmon
Definition
The grandest gate
Japanese temple gates come in ranked forms, and the nijūmon stands at the top: a true two-storied gate with a separate roof crowning each story. Its cousin the rōmon also has two stories but only one roof, over the upper level, with a simple balustrade marking the lower one; counting the roofs is the quickest way to tell them apart. Building two full roof structures demanded the best carpentry a temple could afford, which is why nijūmon mark the entrances of the greatest monasteries.
An upstairs you rarely see
The upper story of a nijūmon is often a real room: many enshrine a Buddha image, arhat statues, or memorial tablets, and ceilings may be painted with dragons. A few, such as the sanmon of Chion-in in Kyoto, among the largest wooden gates in the world, open the upstairs to visitors on special dates, a rare chance to look down the approach through centuries-old timber. Passing beneath one, pause in the cool shadow: the gate itself is the threshold between the everyday world and the temple precinct.
Common questions
- How do I tell a nijūmon from a rōmon?
Count the roofs. A nijūmon has a roof over each of its two stories; a rōmon has only one roof, over the upper story, with a balustrade around the lower level.
- What is inside the upper story?
Often a small Buddha hall with images, arhat statues, or painted ceilings. Most are closed to the public, but some great gates open the upstairs on special viewing days.