The is a type of

gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word is derived from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*gatan'', meaning an opening or passageway. Synonyms include yett (which comes from the same root w ...

seen in

Japanese architecture has been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors ('' fusuma'') and other traditional partitions were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space ...

. It is characterized by the usage of '' kara-hafu'', an undulating

bargeboard A bargeboard or rake fascia is a board fastened to each projecting gable of a roof to give it strength and protection, and to conceal the otherwise exposed end grain of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof. The word ''bargeboard'' is pr ...

peculiar to Japan. ''Kara-mon'' are often used at the entrances of

Japanese castle are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such a ...

s, Buddhist temples and

Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...

s, and have historically been a symbol of authority.

History

Although ''kara'' (唐) can be translated as meaning "China" or " Tang", this type of roof with undulating bargeboards first appeared in Japan during the late

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

.karahafu　唐破風
" JAANUS. Retrieved on June 12, 2009. It was named thus because the word ''kara'' was associated by the Japanese with any type of ornate architecture regardless of origin.
" JAANUS. Retrieved on June 12, 2009. The ''karahafu'' developed during the

and is shown in picture scrolls to decorate gates, corridors, and palanquins. The oldest existing ''karahafu'' is found at

Hōryū-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in Ikaruga, Nara, Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Built shortly after Buddhism was introduced to Japan, it is also one of the oldest Buddh ...

temple. Initially, the ''kara-hafu'' was used only in temples and aristocratic gateways, but starting from the beginning of the

Azuchi–Momoyama period The was the final phase of the in Japanese history from 1568 to 1600. After the outbreak of the Ōnin War in 1467, the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate effectively collapsed, marking the start of the chaotic Sengoku period. In 1568, Oda Nob ...

, it became an important architectural element in the construction of a ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

''s mansions and castles. The ''kara-mon'' entrance was reserved for the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

'' during his ''onari'' visits to the retainer, or for the reception of the emperor at shogunate establishments. A structure associated with these social connections naturally imparted special meaning. ''Kara-mon'' would later become a means to proclaim the prestige of a building and functioned as a symbol of both religious and secular architecture. In the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, the ''kara-mon'' gates were a powerful symbol of authority reflected in architecture.

Variations

Mukai-kara-mon

''Mukai-kara-mon'' (向唐門) is the most common form of ''kara-mon'', and features two ''kara-hafu'' at the front and back of the gate. This type of gate may incorporate a ''kara-hafu'' in the middle of the roof, or the entire gable itself may be a curved structure.mukaikaramon　向唐門
. JAANUS. Retrieved on June 12, 2009.

Hira-kara-mon

''Hira-kara-mon'' (平唐門) are distinguished with two ''kara-hafu'' on the left and right sides of the gate. This type of gate was originally used at palaces, and was once called ''miyuki-mon'' (御幸門).
. JAANUS. Retrieved on June 12, 2009.

Kara-yotsu-ashi-mon

''Kara-yotsu-ashi-mon'' (唐四脚門, "Four-legged gate") is an ornate style of ''kara-mon'' that features four undulating gables on all sides of the gate. A good example of this type of gate can be found at

Nikkō Tōshō-gū is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the ...

. This ''kara-mon'' is decorated with 611 sculptures, including the

Seven Lucky Gods In Japanese mythology, the are believed to grant good luck and are often represented in netsuke and in artworks. One of the seven (Jurōjin) is said to be based on a historical figure. They all began as remote and impersonal gods, but graduall ...

and the

Eight Immortals The Eight Immortals () are a group of legendary ''Xian (Taoism), xian (immortals)'' in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel () that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the ...

.日光東照宮・唐門
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Notes

References

*Coaldrake, William. (1996). ''Architecture and Authority in Japan''. London/New York: Routledge. . *Sarvimaki Marja. (2000). ''Structures, Symbols and Meanings: Chinese and Korean Influence on Japanese Architecture''. Helsinki University of Technology, Department of Architecture. . *Sarvimaki Marja. (2003).
Layouts and Layers: Spatial Arrangements in Japan and Korea
''. Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 3, No. 2. Retrieved on May 30, 2009. *Parent, Mary Neighbour. (2003).
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
'.

External links

{{Shinto shrine Japanese architectural features Gates in Japan