About the Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall
The Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall (松村家住宅門及び塀, Matsumura-ke Jūtaku Mon oyobi Hei) are a gate and boundary wall built in 1936 in Daimyo 2-chome, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, and were entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on March 26, 2015. They close off the south side of the estate along the street. The gate is a timber Munamon with a tiled roof and an opening of 2.0 meters; the wall is built of concrete blocks, capped with tiles, and runs 8.8 meters in total.
Matsumura Hisakichi, third head of the Jokyu soy sauce brewery, built this street front together with his main house, parlor and storehouse. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the pair as an elegant gate and wall. Of the four registered structures, this is the one passers-by come closest to.
The Gate: Lattice Doors and a Wicket Door
A munamon is a gate whose roof sits directly on two posts. According to the Agency, the Matsumura gate has a pair of sliding lattice doors and a pair of hinged board doors in its western opening, and a board Kugurido, a small wicket door, on the east side. Everyday comings and goings used the wicket, while the main opening could be thrown wide when needed.
Lattice doors let light and air through even when closed; board doors shut out the view entirely. Compare the doubled doors on the west with the single, person-sized wicket on the east, and you can see how the gate was meant to be used.
A Wall of Brick-Sized Blocks
From either side of the gate the wall turns corners as it runs along the edge of the plot. It is built of blocks about the size of bricks, coated in the same rough-textured mortar as the Western-style house, and topped with roof tiles.
Concrete blocks, wrapped in the parlor's finish and capped in Japanese tile: the finish carries on without a break from the wall of the parlor to the boundary wall and on to the gate. From the street, the Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall and the Western-style house read as a single continuous facade.
Why the Gate and Wall Were Registered
The Matsumura Gate and Wall received registration number 40-0118 in the 80th round of registrations, on the ground that they contribute to the historic landscape. The Agency praises their refined design and the part they play in the look of the street.
The Agency's database gives an owner for the other three structures on the estate, but the owner field for the gate and wall is blank.
Seeing the Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall
The Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall face the street, so they can be viewed from the road at any time. The gate roof, the lattice and board doors on the west, the wicket on the east and the rough finish of the wall as it turns its corners are all visible from in front of the gate.
There is no official guidance on photography (checked September 2026). The street sees steady foot traffic, so if you stop to take pictures, keep out of the way of people passing by.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukuoka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall
- [ Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine & Hakata Food Tours ]
Q&A
- When were the Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall built?
- In 1936, the same year as the main house, the Western-style house and the storehouse.
- What type of gate is the Matsumura Family Residence gate?
- A timber munamon with a tiled roof and a 2.0-meter opening. It has sliding lattice doors and hinged board doors on the west and a board wicket door on the east.
- What is the Matsumura Gate and Wall's wall made of?
- Brick-sized concrete blocks with a rough mortar finish matching the Western-style house, capped with tiles. It is 8.8 meters long in total.
- When did the Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On March 26, 2015.
- Can I see the Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall?
- Yes. They face the street and can be viewed from the road at any time.
Basic Information
| Name | Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall (松村家住宅門及び塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-127 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2015 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Gate opening 2.0 m (timber, tiled roof); wall 8.8 m in total length (concrete block, tiled) |
| Owner | Not listed (blank in the Agency's database) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street (checked 2026-09) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010526
- Cultural Heritage Online: Matsumura Family Residence Gate and Wall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/274696
- Jokyu: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties, Jokyu Shoyu and the Matsumura Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.jokyu.co.jp/history/property/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
