Miyagi Gate - Kyujomon

A gate built in the large fence surrounding the Imperial Palace (Daidai-ri). It is also called the outer wall gate or the outer gate. Fujiwara Palace and Heijo Palace had three gates on each of the four sides, and were called the twelve gates of the Imperial Palace, but because Heian Palace is long from north to south, there was an additional gate on each of the east and west sides, making a total of 14 gates.

At Heian Palace, the main gate in the center on the south side is the Suzaku Gate. On the east and west are the Bifuku and Koka Gates, on the east side are the Jyoto, Yomei, Taiken, and Ikuho Gates from north to south, on the west side are the Jyosai, Inpu, Soheki, and Danten Gates, and on the north side is the Ikan Gate in the center, and on the east and west are the Tatchi and Anka Gates. Of these, the Jyoto Gate and Jyosei Gate were added. These two gates were also called Tsuchimikado and Nishinotsuchimikado, and as their names suggest, they were simply entrances cut into the Tsuiji.

The names of the palace gates, except for these two gates and the Suzaku Gate, were changed to a Chinese style in 818 (Kōnin 9). Previously, they were named after clans such as Mibu and Saeki, and the Suzaku Gate was also called the Otomo Gate in ancient times. The original pronunciation remains in the new names, such as the Bifuku Gate (Mibu Gate). These clans had been guarding the emperor since before the Asuka period, and around the 6th century, they were led by the Otomo clan and were put in charge of guarding the palace gates, so each gate was named after the clan. However, by the Nara period, they no longer existed, and the Emonfu (Emon Office) took over the guarding of the palace gates, as was the case at the Heian Palace. At the Heian Palace, the Yomei Gate, which was closest to the Imperial Palace, was important and was also used by aristocrats and officials. For this reason, from the mid-Heian period onwards, many complaints by peasants to the provincial governors against their cruelty were made outside this gate.

[Sanae Yoshida]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宮城（大内裏(だいだいり)）の周囲の大垣に設けられた門。外郭門、外門(がいもん)ともいう。藤原宮、平城宮では四面に各3門あって宮城十二門と称されたが、平安宮は南北が長いため東西1門ずつ増えて14門あった。

　平安宮では南側の中央が正門で朱雀(すざく)門。東西に美福(びふく)・皇嘉(こうか)門、東側は北から上東(じょうとう)・陽明(ようめい)・待賢(たいけん)・郁芳(いくほう)門、西側は同じく上西(じょうさい)・殷富(いんぷ)・藻壁(そうへき)・談天(だんてん)門、北側は中央が偉鑒(いかん)門で、東西に達智(たっち)・安嘉(あんか)門。このうち、上東門、上西門が増えた門である。この2門は別名を土御門(つちみかど)、西土御門(にしのつちみかど)とよばれたが、その名のとおり築地(ついじ)を切り開いただけの入口であった。

　この両門および朱雀門を除く宮城門の名称は818年（弘仁9）唐風に改名されたもので、以前は壬生(みぶ)、佐伯(さえき)といった氏族の名が冠されており、朱雀門も古代には大伴(おおとも)門とよばれていた。そして美福門（壬生門）のように新しい名称にもとの発音が残されている。これらの氏族は飛鳥(あすか)時代以前から天皇を警護する役割をもっており、6世紀ころ大伴氏に統率されて、宮城門の警備を担当するようになったため、各門にその氏族の名がついたとされている。しかし、奈良時代にはすでにその実体はなく、衛門府(えもんふ)が宮城門の警備にあたるようになり、平安宮でも同じであった。平安宮では内裏にもっとも近い陽明門が重要性をもち、貴族や官人たちの通用門ともなった。そのため平安中期以降には、農民たちが国司の非道を訴える受領(ずりょう)愁訴が、多くこの門外で行われた。

［吉田早苗］

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