A spectacular view, preserving the legend of Goemon
 

Standing 22 meters tall, the impressive Sanmon Gate guards the entrance to Nanzen-ji Temple, a temple of the Zen Buddhist sect. Also known as Tenka Ryumon (the greatest Dragon Gate on earth), this gate is counted as one of the three great gates in Kyoto, along with the Sanmon Gate at Chion-in Temple and the Goedomon Gate at Higashi Hongan-ji Temple. The gate was destroyed by a fire back in the period when it was first constructed, but in 1628, one of the great Daimyo (feudal lords) of the Warring Period, Todo Takatora reconstructed the gate as a prayer for the repose of the souls of all of the warriors who fell in battle during the Osaka Natsu no Jin (Summer Campaign) of 1615. You can climb up the Sanmon gate, and see all of Kyoto spread out below you from the upper level. Impressed by the beauty of Kyoto viewed from the gate, the infamous character and thief Ishikawa Goemon is known for his line in the Kabuki play Sanmon Gosan-no-kiri where he says "What a marvelous view, what a grand sight!" Actually, the Sanmon Gate was constructed after the death of Goemon, but the view from the gate is so impressive that it has long been featured in plays and other creative works. On the right, when standing in the temple grounds, there is a 6 meter tall stone lantern, the largest in Asia, which was presented by the famous Daimyo, Sakuma Katsuyuki in the Edo Period. Furthermore, in 1899, the Sanmon Gate was designated an important national cultural property.

   
Sanmon Gate
Sanmon Gate
Sanmon Gate
Sanmon Gate
Side columns of the Sanmon Gate   The view from the top of the Sanmon Gate   Stone lantern
Side columns of the
Sanmon Gate
  The view from the top of the
Sanmon Gate
  Stone lantern
 
A video clip showing a view of Kyoto from the top of the Sanmon Gate

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Playback time: 27 sec. November 2009
 
A video clip showing a view of the grounds of Nanzen-ji Temple from the top of the Sanmon Gate

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Playback time: 30 sec. November 2009
 
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