Rajōmon Gate Site

Kyoto · Japan · Haunted site

In the ruin of Kyoto's great southern gate, demons dwelt among the abandoned bodies of the dead — today only a stone remains.

Rajōmon was the monumental southern gate of imperial Kyoto, but by the tenth century it had decayed into a notorious haunt where the city's dead were dumped and demons were said to dwell. In the tale collection Konjaku Monogatari, a thief creeps up to the gate's upper storey and finds an old woman plucking the hair from a woman's corpse to make wigs — the scene that gave Kurosawa's film 'Rashomon' its name. The legend of the demon Ibaraki-dōji is also set here: it lurked in the gate until the warrior Watanabe no Tsuna cut off its arm. The gate itself vanished without a trace; today only a memorial stone on a small playground in southern Kyoto marks the spot.

FAQ

Where is Rajōmon Gate Site located?

Rajōmon Gate Site is in Kyoto, Japan.