A Log-Built Gate in Sukiya Style
The Ryotei Kinnabe Front Gate (料亭金鍋表門) is the front gate of a ryotei of about 1917 in Honmachi, Wakamatsu Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 23, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber gate 1.8 metres wide with a tiled roof and 3.9 metres of attached wall; registration number 40-0040.
A Gate Enclosing the Entrance Court
The Ryotei Kinnabe Front Gate stands on the north edge of a long, narrow site with streets to the north and south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Walls run off to either side, and the west wall turns a corner so that, with the gate, it encloses the court before the entrance.
According to Kitakyushu City, Kinnabe is a ryotei restaurant founded in 1895, and its present buildings were rebuilt between the end of the Meiji era and the start of the Taisho era. The Agency dates the gate to about 1917.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes square posts, logs used for the brackets, eave beam and rafters, and a glazed transom, a modern take on the sukiya style; it was registered as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the logs used in the brackets, eave beam and rafters, and the glazed transom (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Kitakyushu City also singles out the log-built gate alongside the black-plastered main building.
Visiting
According to Kitakyushu City, Kinnabe is still used as a ryotei. No official information on visits was found.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukuoka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ryotei Kinnabe Front Gate
- [ Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine & Hakata Food Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Ryotei Kinnabe Front Gate built?
- In about 1917 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the gate?
- On the north edge of the Ryotei Kinnabe site in Honmachi, Wakamatsu Ward, Kitakyushu.
- What should I look for?
- The log brackets, eave beam and rafters, and the glazed transom.
- Can I visit the gate?
- No official information on visits was found.
- When was the Ryotei Kinnabe Front Gate registered?
- On July 23, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ryotei Kinnabe Front Gate (料亭金鍋表門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-516, 522, 523 Honmachi, Wakamatsu Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/07/23 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, 1.8 m wide, with 3.9 m of wall |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | In use as a ryotei (no visiting information) |
References
- Ryotei Kinnabe Front Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004301
- Ryotei Kinnabe Front Gate (Kitakyushu City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/contents/02100274_00001.html
Last verified: 2026.10.15
