The Main Gate, constructed in 1912, was built in a traditional gate style known as kabuki-mon. The top section of the gate (called the kabuki) features openwork of the morning sun rising above auspicious clouds. The doors contain Japanese-style ocean waves and arabesque patterns as well as vertical latticework. The gateposts, meanwhile, are made of steel poles that are set in thick-cut granite. The original doors were also composed of various types of iron. Thus, the Gate’s design is a fusion of Japanese spirit and Western learning; namely, Japanese taste combined with Western techniques. The Gate was designed by Chuta Ito, a former professor of the University’s School of Engineering (Department of Architecture). The doors and top section were replaced with aluminum alloy replicas in 1988, and the originals are currently kept on the Komaba Campus.
