Chokushi-Mon / Gateway of the Imperial Messenger - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London, UK)
N 51° 28.308 W 000° 17.847
30U E 687691 N 5705757
Beautiful Chokushi-Mon (Gateway of the Imperial Messenger), located in Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, is a replica (four-fifths actual size) of the Karamon of Nishi Hongan-ji Temple in Kyoto.
Waymark Code: WMM712
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/02/2014
Views: 4
Beautiful Chokushi-Mon (Gateway of the Imperial Messenger), located in Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, is a replica (four-fifths actual size) of the Karamon of Nishi Hongan-ji Temple in Kyoto.
The Chokushi-Mon was created for the Japan-British Exhibition held in London in 1910. After the exhibition closed, the replica gateway was moved and reconstructed here. The gateway is made of hinoki wood (Japanese cypress - Chamaecyparis obtusa), with a traditional copper roof (replacing the original made of cedar bark). The gateway has been completely reconstructed and returned into its former beauty in 1995.
The Karamon is a gate of Nishi Hongan-ji designated a National Treasures of Japan. It is constructed as a four-legged gate with karahafu gables of undulating curves on the front and back. The Karamon gate has a roof in the irimoya style, a style of hip roof sloping down on all four sides and integrated on two opposing sides with a gable. The roof is covered by bark shingles made from hinoki cypress. The gate dates to 1573 and was constructed early in the Momoyama period (1573–1614). [wiki]