Places of interest · Kyoto Gyoen / Kamigyo
Hamaguri Gomon Gate 蛤御門
A gate of the Kyoto Imperial Park whose beams still carry bullet marks from the 1864 battle when Choshu troops tried to storm the palace.
About
Officially the Shinzaike Gate, it earned its nickname 'Clam Gate' during a great Edo-period fire: the gate, normally kept shut, was opened to let people escape, like a clam opening on the coals. In August 1864 it gave its name to a battle. Choshu forces and allied radicals marched on the palace to restore their influence and were beaten back by Aizu and Satsuma troops; the heaviest fighting was around this gate. The Choshu commander Kijima Matabei was shot near the old muku tree just inside and took his own life. Fires spread from the fighting and burned across Kyoto for three days, destroying around 28,000 houses. Look closely at the beams for the bullet scars.
Highlights
- Bullet marks in the weathered beams
- Kijima Matabei's death site by the muku tree inside
- Information board by the Ministry of the Environment
Tips
- The gate is on Karasuma-dori on the west side of the Imperial Park; the park is free and open all day.
- Combine with a free walk-in visit to the Kyoto Imperial Palace grounds.
Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-19
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