Rajomon gate - The main gate of ancient Kyoto

Some old capitals of empire has or had main gate on the border of those city, such as “Porta San Sebastiano” in Rome, and Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. “Rajomon” gate, often called “Rashomon” gate, in ancient Kyoto was one of those.

A miniature of Rajomon gate, in front of Kyoto station
(C)JAPAN a while ago

In 794, Emperor Kanmu move capital city to “Heian-Kyo”, now called Kyoto. At same, he made a two-storied gate in the entrance of new capital, at the end of “Suzaku” boulevard as main street of Heiankyo. This great gate, inspired from Tang China, was 32 meters wide by 7.9meters high including some passageway connecting the inside and outside of capital in ground floor, and a corridor in upper floor. The imperial court of Japan used this gate for some welcome and appealing to foreign missions.

But, about 100 years later from Heiankyo built, this gate end its role. In 824, the imperial court decided to break off relation with Silla Korea completely because of rebellion by Silla people in Tokaido region. After that, In 894, Michizane Sugawara proposed abolition of mission exchanging with Tang China because of civil war in there, and his propose was adopted. Moreover 2 decades later, Balhae, allied country for Japan in this age, downfallen. Then, there were no friendly nation for ancient Japan, and no foreign mission walked through Rajomon gate. Soon, Rashomon gate, unneeded main entrance, became ruining. According to “Anthology of Tales from the Past”, published in late Heian period, they diverted the gate as a morgue in that time.

Finally, the gate was collapsed by a storm in 980. After that, no one rebuilt the main gate of Heiankyo. The only, relic of Rashomon gate, its base stone, was removed to urban core for constructing Hojoji temple by the Regent Michinaga Fujiwara, no later than half 11th century.

A illustration of Rajomon gate in the old days, painted by Gyosai Kawanabe in 1863

From one day, “Rajomon” became to be called “Rashomon”. And today, the gate, both called Rajomon or Rashomon, is become popular in the world, because of a novel written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, or a movie produced by Akira Kurosawa. In spite of nobody knows exactly where the gate was.