About the Garden Gate and Fence
The Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence (椛島家住宅庭門及び塀, Kabashima-ke Jūtaku Niwamon oyobi Hei) in Nijotanaka, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a garden gate and fence of the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912), registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017.
The Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence curves from the front of the main house around the inner garden before the rear parlor, dividing it from the forecourt. The gate is 1.3 meters wide and the fence 9.8 meters long, the smallest of the estate's gates and fences. The register number is 40-0147.
A Gate Matched to the House
The gate of the Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence is an Udekimon, its gabled pantile roof (Kirizuma-zukuri, Sangawara-buki) carried on arms from the posts. Plaster is worked in around the transom (Ranma), and the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that this detail matches the design of the main house.
The fence is faced with vertical boards (Tateita-bari) on the outside, with an open transom along the top.
A Screen Between Two Gardens
The Agency describes the Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence as simple and delicate, lending the garden a settled calm. It keeps no one out. It stands between the forecourt where guests were received and the inner garden viewed from the rear parlor.
The open transom does not fully hide the trees beyond, so from the forecourt you sense the inner garden before you see it; only through the gate does the whole come into view. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Seeing the Garden Gate and Fence
On open days the Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence is straight ahead as you enter the south gate, just in front of the main house. Compare the plaster frame around the gate's transom with the walls of the house to see how the two were matched.
Whether you can pass into the inner garden depends on the route for the day, so follow the guidance on site.
Q&A
- Where is the Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence?
- It curves from the front of the main house around the inner garden, dividing it from the forecourt, and is straight ahead as you enter the south gate.
- What kind of gate is the Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate?
- A bracket-arm (udekimon) gate with a gabled pantile roof, 1.3 meters wide, with plaster worked around its transom.
- How long is the fence of the Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence?
- 9.8 meters, faced with vertical boards on the outside and open at the transom.
- How does the Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence relate to the main house?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the plasterwork around the gate's transom matches the design of the main house.
- When was the Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence registered?
- On May 2, 2017. It was built in the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912).
Basic Information
| Name | Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence (椛島家住宅庭門及び塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 101 Otsuka, Nijotanaka, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 40-0147 |
| Year Designated | Registered May 2, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Garden gate: timber, tiled roof, width 1.3 meters / Fence: timber, tiled roof, total length 9.8 meters |
| Owner | Kabashima family (private) |
| Public Access | Not open daily; opened during exhibitions held mainly in spring and autumn |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kabashima Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011594
- Registered Tangible Cultural Property: Kabashima Family Residence (Itoshima City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.itoshima.lg.jp/s033/010/020/010/190/20181004152257.html
- Registered Buildings (Kabashima Family Residence official site, in Japanese)
- https://kabashimake.com/buildings/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
