Muza-chan's Gate to Japan

Kiyomizu-dera gates

Sat, November 3, 2012, by Muza-chan
The entrance to the Japanese Buddhist temples is usually marked by one or more gates and an interesting fact is that every gate has a name. These names are given according to various, but rigorous sets of criteria, like the position of the gate relative to cardinal points, the architectural style or details (one-story gate, two-story gate) or the type of the statues guarding the gate (Nio guardians, Shitennō guardians).

In this photo you can see the two gates from the entrance to the Kiyomizu-dera temple from Kyoto: the large gate on the left is the Nio-mon (the gate of the two Nio guardians), also called Rōmon, because of its architecture, two-stories with a single roof. The gate on the right is the Sai-mon gate (meaning West Gate) and it is a single story gate.

Nio-mon Gate, Sai-mon Gate, Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto
EXIF info:

Nikon D90
Lens: 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6G
Focal Length: 16mm
Aperture: F/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/800s
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 200



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