sekimon 石門

1　Also read ishimon. A gate made almost entirely of stone, seen especially in Okinawa Prefecture. Example: Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon 園比屋武御嶽石門 (1519). Some Japanese castle gates have a high stone base with the upper parts made of wood and plaster. They have tiled roofs. Example: Kōchijō Ottemon 高知城追手門, is a 2-storied gate rebuilt in 1802. The central doors open both ways, but side doors open only one way. The upper story has wood siding with large windows in a row. See *sekishōmon 石牆門, *sekizō-no-mon 石造の門.

2　Rock that has been formed by the elements of nature to look like a gate. These gates in rock can be formed by the pounding of the sea, an earthquake, water erosion etc.