Hamaguri Gomon Gate

The Hamaguri Gomon Gate at Ninnaji in Kyoto takes its name from a fire that swept through the compound: the gate reportedly opened up like a clam thrown on the flames, allowing residents to escape. In 1864, near the end of the Edo period, the gate became the site of the Kinmon Incident, when loyalist rebels attempted to storm the imperial palace and were repulsed in fierce fighting. Looking closely at the weathered wooden beams, you can still see the bullet marks left by that battle. History connects directly to the wood here in a way that signs and museum exhibits rarely manage.