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Chokushi-Mon.—The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have received 
a remarkable and beautiful addition by the gift of “The Gate of 
the Imperial Messenger” or “Chokushi-Mon,” exhibited at the 
Japan-British Exhibition held in London last year. 
The establishment—or rather the nation—is indebted to the 
Kyoto Exhibitors’ Association to the Japan-British Exhibition for 
this presentation. At the Exhibition the Gate formed the entrance 
to Kyoto-Kan. In the Royal Gardens it has been re-erected on 
the old mound, known as Mosque or Mossy Hill, near the Pagoda, on 
which a mosque, designed by Sir W. Chambers, used formerly to stand. 
The Gate is a faithful reproduction, four-fifths natural size, of 
the gateway of the great Buddhist temple of Nishi Hongwanji at 
. The original gate was made for the Palace of Hideyoshi, 
which was built in the latter half of the sixteenth century at 
Momoyama, a few miles south of Kyoto, and was afterwards moved 
to its present position in the temple. 
The original gate, as well as the magnificent temple to which it 
gives access, représent the art and skill attained by the artists and 
craftsmen of Hideyoshi’s time (middle of the sixteenth century). 
It was Hideyoshi who crossed over to Corea and made the name of 
Japan widely known to other nations ; he died in 1598. 
1e carvings on the original are ascribed to the famous “ left- 
handed Jingoro.” The replica is by Wada Genyemon, of Kyoto, 
a noted temple wood-carver. The beautiful panels, with their 
wealth of carvings, portray Oriental legends. The Chinese fable 
of Kosekko and Choryo, a narrative illustrating the unswerving 
devotion and fidelity of a pupil to his teacher in eagerness to learn, 
is the subject of the openwork carving on the blocks of wood on the 
front panels. According to the legend, the hard-hearted master 
tested the sincerity of the warrior—for Choryo led armies in many 
a battle—by dropping first his right shoe, then his left, and then 
both shoes into the river. Instantly, without hesitation, Choryo — 
lunged into the troubled waters, recovered the shoes and brought 
them back to Kosekko, imploring him to impart the secret of his 
learning. The right panel depicts Kosekko on a bridge on horse- 
back, with his left foot bare. The left shows Choryo holding up 
the recovered shoe. He is mounted upon a dragon, which, moved 
by the young man’s faithfulness to his purpose, came to his assist- 
ance. The reverse panels have carvings of a floral design. 
_ The beams are supported by elaborately carved wood work, 
representing phenix, winged dragons, and other imaginary creatures. 
The delicate open-work diapers of the upper panels, and the bold 
knife-work of the conventionalised lions of the lower part of the 
Gate, will repay a careful study. The graceful curves of the roof 
lines show the architectural style of the sixteenth and seventeenth 
centuries, known as the Momoyama period. i : 
The replica is a faithful copy of the original, not only in design, 
but also in materials, the timber used in both cases being “ Keyaki 
or “ Hinoki” wood (Cupressus or Retinospora obtusa), The wood 
is fragrant, close grained and very durable. The roof is covered 
with cedar-bark shingles, and is over a foot thick, and a protective 
covering of sheet lead has been placed over the cedar at Kew. 
ome young trees of Cupressus obtusa have been planted on the 
mound near the Gate. sli cere 
