nanken-nanko 何間 何戸

Keywords
Architecture
Gates

Lit. "How many bays? How many entrances?" Questions posed in order to ascertain the number of bays *ken 間, and number of entrances in various gates. Thus ikken-ikko 一間一戸 means 1 bay made with 1 entrance filling the single bay. Usually, a walled or partially latticed fence is attached to each side. Examples: Hannyaji Rōmon 般若寺楼門 (1264-1275) in Nara. *Sangen-ikko 三間一戸 refers to a 3-bay wide gate with 1 entrance in the center bay. Example: Kiyomizudera Niōmon 清水寺仁王門, 9.55 m × 5.00 m, late Muromachi period. Yonken-niko 四間二戸 refers to four bays with the middle 2 bays as entrances. Example: Hōryūji *Chūmon 法隆寺中門, 11.90 m × 8.46 m, two-storied type *nijūmon 二重門 (late 7th-8th century) in Nara. This chūmon is unique in its arrangement of 4 bays with 2 entrances *Goken-sanko 五間三戸 refers to a gate 5 bays wide with the three central bays used as entrances. Example: Tōdaiji *Nandaimon 東大寺南大門, 28.79 m × 10.79 m, two-storied type (1199) in Nara.