Have you noticed the striking black gate before us? This is the Kuro-mon Gate at Nakayama Hokekyo-ji Temple. It is more than just an entrance. It is a tangible piece of Ichikawa City’s cultural heritage.
The Kuro-mon Gate is also known as the So-mon Gate. So-mon means the main gate. But it is painted black. Thus, it earned the nickname Kuro-mon or Black Gate. Visitors arriving from Keisei Nakayama Station or Shimousa Nakayama Station will pass through it.
Its construction date is unknown. But it might be from the early Edo Period. This is around the same time the Akamon gates were built.
The Kuro-mon Gate features a Korai-mon style. This architectural style includes two squared main pillars. Two round sub pillars support a thin gabled roof. Small gabled roofs adorn the main and sub pillars. Korai-mon gates were often used in castles. Therefore, they usually had doors. There are no signs of doors on this gate. But it might have had doors when first built.
The sub pillars of the Kuro-mon Gate need replacing every fifty years. This is because they are earthfast posts. The gate also requires repainting and re-roofing periodically. However, the main structure including the main pillars remains original.
Look closely at the framed letters above the gate. Sukenobu Ota wrote them in 1793. Sukenobu Ota was the lord of Kakegawa. The letters are also a tangible cultural property of Ichikawa City. The frame is painted. The letters are carved in low relief.
Sukenobu Ota belonged to the Ota family. The Ota family descended from the Seiwa-Ganji Clan. This was a noble samurai family. Sukekuni moved to Sagami-no-kuni. His son served the Ougigayatsu Uesugi Clan. Sukekiyo became the vice military governor of Sagami.
Sukenaga built a castle at Edo. He is also known as Dokan Ota. Yasusuke Ota fought against Hojo. Later, the Ota family served the Tokugawa Clan. They held the position of Daimyo until the Meiji Era. The family received a viscount title.
In 2009, the Kuro-mon Gate underwent extensive repairs for seventeen months. The foundation was rebuilt with concrete. The sub pillars were replaced. The copper roof shingles were changed. The gate was repainted. The framed letters were also fixed.
The Nakayama Hokekyo-ji Temple and its Kuro-mon Gate are easily accessible. It is a short walk from both Keisei-Nakayama Station and Shimousa-Nakayama Station. Nakayama Hokekyo-ji Temple offers beautiful sights every season. Millions of cherry blossoms bloom here in spring. Lotus flowers bloom on Ryuo-ike pond in summer. Beautiful colored leaves appear in the fall.
The Kuro-mon Gate stands as a testament to history. It connects us to the past. It invites us to explore the beauty and culture of Nakayama Hokekyo-ji Temple.