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.

More haunted places in Kyoto

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.