
The gate was built in 1267 during the Kamakura period. It has a single entrance with a tower structure above. The hip-and-gable roof is covered with cylindrical tiles and it is supported by four columns. The eaves and bracket sets are carved with complicated and beautiful designs. On the second level there is a door in the central bay with windows on either side. Low balustrades surround the second level. This temple gate, with its fine and detailed wordwork, is small but sturdy with features which are characteristic of the architecture of the Kamakura period (1185–1333). It was listed as a National Treasure in 1953.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Architecture G-L, page 429.