Yōmeimon 陽明門

Lit. "sun bright gate."

1　One of the 12 gates located on the east side of the outer enclosure of the ancient palace, Heian-kyō 平安京, north of the Taikenmon 待賢門 (waiting wisdom gate), and south of the Jōtōmon 上東門 (upper east gate). It was also called the guard gate Konoemon 近衛門, because there was an imperial guard station to the left and right of the gate.

2　Also called Higurashi-no-mon 日暮門 (sun living gate). In the Edo period, ordinary people could make a pilgrimage only as far as at Nikkō Tōshōgū 日光東照宮 Yōmeimon in Tochigi Prefecture. It is an 8-legged *hakkyakumon 八脚門, high gate *rōmon 楼門, that is 3 x 2 bays with gate doors that are attached to the main pillars which mark the center bay. The passage and three rear bays have an earthen floor. The left and right front bays enshrine statues of guards zuijin 随身 and guard dogs *komainu 狛犬 positioned in the rear bays to the left and right. These statues are protected by vertical lattice fences called *kongōsaku 金剛柵. The roof is hip-and-gable *irimoya yane 入母屋屋根, and the roofing is made of copper dōbanbuki 銅板葺, which simulates tile. On the hip-and-gable roof are four undulating gables *karahafu 唐破風. The gate is lacquered, and the pillars are coated with white paste *gofun 胡粉, covered with patterns in relief. Bracket complexes *tokyō 斗きょう are closely packed *tsumegumi 詰組, an arrangement characteristic of the Zen style *zenshūyō 禅宗様. The entire gate is extremely ornate. The Yōmeimon is located on the boundary between the outer and inner precincts of the shrine. Construction was completed in 1636.