ootemon　大手門

KEY WORD :　architecture / castles

The front gate of a castle. Derive from *oote 大手, the front of a castle or the front of the enemy ranks in battle. The rear gate of a castle is called *karametemon 搦手門. Note that there may have been more than one ootemon and karametemon at a single castle. For example, at the now lost Nagoyajou 名古屋城, there was an ootemon as expected at the front but also on both the east and west sides. The architectural type used for the ootemon was typically a two-storied tower gate *yaguramon 櫓門. Numerous extant ootemon survive; Nijoujou Higashi Ootemon 二条城東大手門 (1603), Kyoto.

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