Former Uchida Saheiji Family Residence Front Gate and Barns
The Former Uchida Saheiji Family Residence Front Gate and Barns (旧内田佐平二家住宅表門及び納屋) is a structure built around 1872 at the Uchida Saheiji family house in Utsumi, Minamichita Town, Chita District, Aichi Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 2, 2018, under registration number 23-0534. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the gate as timber with a tiled roof, 2.2 metres wide with a wicket door on the west, and the barns as single-storey timber buildings with tiled roofs and a building area of 26 square metres, renovated in 2011.
According to Minamichita Town, the Saheiji house was built by the Sashichi family for the first Sazo, who had managed the family's branch shop, when he returned to Utsumi; a house-plan divination chart of May 1872 dates it to around that time.
Why It Was Registered
The gate and barns were registered in 2018 as contributing to the historic landscape of the country. According to the Agency, they comprise the front gate at the centre of the south side of the plot and the east and west barns extending on either side. The gate is a yakuimon with a tiled roof, giving the house the dignified frontage of a prominent shipowner.
What to Look For
Each barn is a single-storey building with a tiled roof and a doorway at the west end of its north side. From the west end of the west barn's north side, a block open on its east side turns at a right angle to join the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
According to the town, the gate stands on the south edge of a long, narrow plot, and the main house faces you as you enter. The gate and barns seen from the lane form the face of this port-town house.
Visiting
No public opening information for the Saheiji house was found in Minamichita Town's guidance, which covers the main Uchida (Sashichi) house. Ask the town's education division (0569-65-0711) whether it can be visited. Opening days, admission and access are on the Uchida Family Residences of the Utsumi Shipowners page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Aichi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Uchida Saheiji Family Residence Front Gate and Barns
- [ Nagoya Castle & Atsuta Shrine History Tours ]
Q&A
- When were the gate and barns built?
- Around 1872; they were renovated in 2011.
- When were they registered?
- On November 2, 2018, as registration number 23-0534.
- What kind of gate is it?
- A tiled yakuimon gate 2.2 metres wide, with a wicket door on the west.
- What are the barns like?
- Single-storey tiled buildings on either side of the gate; a block from the west barn turns to join the main house.
- Can I visit the gate and barns?
- No public opening information was found; ask Minamichita Town's education division.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Uchida Saheiji Family Residence Front Gate and Barns (旧内田佐平二家住宅表門及び納屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 55 Minamigawa, Utsumi, Minamichita Town, Chita District, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/11/2 (Heisei 30), registration no. 23-0534 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Gate: timber, tiled roof, width 2.2 metres, wicket door on the west. Barns: timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 26 square metres |
| Owner | Minamichita Town |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (ask the town) |
References
- 旧内田佐平二家住宅表門及び納屋 (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012563
- About the Uchida houses (Minamichita Town)
- https://www.town.minamichita.lg.jp/kankosangyou/bunkasports/1001407/1001408.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04
