A small gate between forecourt and garden
The Former Kurauchi Family Residence Middle Gate (旧蔵内家住宅中門, Kyū-Kurauchi-ke Jūtaku Chūmon) in Kamifukano, Chikujo-machi, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a gate of 1921 linking the entrance court of the Kurauchi family home to its garden, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 14, 2002.
It stands just northeast of the Grand Entrance Wing, connecting the approach to the house with the garden laid out on the north side of the estate. It is a single bay square with a frontage of 1.8 metres, under a copper-sheet Irimoya-zukuri roof.
An old photograph dates it to 1921, the year the house is said to have been completed, making it one of the finishing touches of the great Taisho enlargement.
Why it was registered
The Middle Gate was registered as number 40-0029 as a model of design. Small as it is, the national record praises its tidy Sukiya-zukuri styling: posts of natural, barely dressed logs, with log beams and log Taruki rafters above.
This is not a front gate meant to impress but an inner gate that leads a guest from the door toward the garden, and its members are kept deliberately slender. Set beside the heavy, layered roofs of the Grand Entrance Wing, its lightness is striking.
The privy by the estate entrance is thought to date from the same time and uses the same vocabulary of round posts and log rafters, suggesting that around 1921 the family dressed its comings and goings with small sukiya-style structures.
What to look for
Get close to the posts. They are not squared timber but trunks that keep their natural curve and taper, each with its own girth and surface. Look up and you will see rows of slim log rafters carrying the copper roof.
From in front of the Grand Entrance, the gate frames a slice of the northern garden beyond, a hint to arriving guests of what lay further in.
Chikujo Town illustrates the estate with a photograph of the Grand Entrance and the Middle Gate together, and the pairing defines the front view of the house.
Visiting the Middle Gate
The Former Kurauchi Family Residence Middle Gate stands outdoors within the Kyu-Kurauchi-tei grounds and can be viewed as part of a visit. Whether you can walk through it into the garden may depend on the route in use, so follow staff directions.
Check photography rules at the desk. Opening hours, fees and directions are on the Former Kurauchi Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukuoka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Kurauchi Family Residence Middle Gate
- [ Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine & Hakata Food Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Kurauchi Family Residence Middle Gate built?
- In 1921, a date established from an old photograph.
- Where is the Kurauchi Middle Gate?
- Northeast of the Grand Entrance Wing, linking the entrance court with the garden on the north side of the estate.
- How big is the Kurauchi Middle Gate?
- It is a one-by-one bay gate with a frontage of 1.8 metres.
- What makes the Kurauchi Middle Gate notable?
- Its sukiya-style construction, with natural log posts and log beams and rafters.
- Is the Kurauchi Middle Gate a cultural property?
- Yes. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on February 14, 2002.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kurauchi Family Residence Middle Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 396 Kamifukano, Chikujo-machi, Chikujo-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2002/2/14 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber gate, copper-sheet roof, frontage 1.8 metres (1 by 1 bay) |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (opened to the public by Chikujo Town as Kyu-Kurauchi-tei) |
| Public Access | Visible on the grounds of Kyu-Kurauchi-tei (closed Wednesdays) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database: Former Kurauchi Family Residence Middle Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002710
- Facilities: Kyu-Kurauchi-tei (Chikujo History Walk)
- https://www.chikujo-rekishi.jp/guide/kyukurauchitei/k002.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
