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is the Japanese name of a
is the Japanese name of a Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...
gate guarded by two wooden warriors called Niō (lit. Two Kings). The gate is called Heng Ha Er Jiang (哼哈二将) in China and Geumgangmun (금강문) in Korea. The two statues are inside the two posts of the gate itself, one at the left, one at the right. Structurally, it usually is either a '' rōmon'' or a '' nijūmon'' and can measure either 5x2 or 3x2 '' bays''. It can sometimes have just one story, as in the case of Asakusa
is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known for Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as .
History
The development of Asaku ...
's Kaminarimon.
In a five-bay gate, the figures of the two Niō are usually enshrined in the two outer bays, but can be sometimes found also in the inner ones. The statue on the right is called and has his mouth open to utter the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, which is pronounced "a". The left statue is called and has his mouth closed, representing the last letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, pronounced "um". These two letters ('' a-un'' in Japanese) together symbolize the birth and death of all things.
See also
*Mon (architecture)
is a generic Japanese term for gate often used, either alone or as a suffix, in referring to the many gates used by Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and traditional-style buildings and castles.
Significance
Unlike gates of secular buildings, ...
Notes