History
Sanmon Station is a Kurama-yama Cable Railway station in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, operated by the religious corporation of Kuramadera Temple. It is the lower terminus of the funicular line, sitting just inside the Niō-mon gate (山門) of Kuramadera Temple — hence the station name. The station opened on 1 January 1957 simultaneously with the cable line. In 1992 a Buddhist hall called the 'Fumyōden', which today doubles as the station building, was newly built. From the 2016 introduction of the 'Ushiwakamaru IV' fourth-generation cable car, the second floor of the Fumyōden was rebuilt to house the waiting room and platform, with the donation-ticket vending machine on the staircase landing. The nearest non-cable station is Eiden Kurama-line Kurama Station, about a 5-minute walk away.
History summarized from Japanese & English Wikipedia · last reviewed 2026-05-25.
Notes
Sanmon Station's de-facto station building, the 'Fumyōden', is itself a Buddhist hall — its 1st floor entrance features an enshrined statue of Bishamonten, one of the Four Heavenly Kings and the protector deity of Kuramadera Temple.