Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall

About the Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall

The Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall (矢吹家住宅南門及び外塀, Yabuki-ke Jūtaku Minamimon oyobi Sotobei) is a gate and boundary wall of the early Showa era (1926 to 1945) that enclose the southern edge of the Yabuki family estate in Narukawa, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2015.

The outer wall of the Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall runs west from the southwest corner of the new storehouse for a total of 40 metres. The south gate opens in it close to the storehouse and is 2.7 metres wide. The gate is timber with a tiled roof; the wall is timber with tile and sheet-metal coping.

A Bracketed Gate with Angled Wings

The south gate of the Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall is an Udekimon with a gabled roof of pantiles, a simple type whose eaves rest on brackets set into the posts.

Its wing walls are not set flush with the boundary but angled outward. The opening flares slightly, and the gate stands out clearly along the otherwise straight wall.

Boards Below, White Plaster Above

On its outer face the wall has a lower section of sasarako shitamiita, overlapping weatherboards (Shitami-itabari) held by vertical battens notched to fit each step of the boards, with white lime plaster panels above.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall as a long gate and wall with a light touch, quite different from the heavy east front. Against the zelkova gate and namako-walled storehouses of the east side, the south edge is kept light with boards and white plaster.

The Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for its contribution to the historic landscape. Running 40 metres along the south of the estate, the wall gives the Yabuki property a clear outline within the village.

Seeing the Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall

The outer face of the Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall looks out from the estate, and the contrast of boards and white plaster is meant to be seen from outside. How much of the wall can be seen from a road on the south side has not been checked on site.

The ground inside the south gate is private; please do not pass through it. No public openings could be found (checked October 2026). Photograph the Yabuki Family Residence South Gate and Outer Wall only from the public road. Directions are on the Yabuki Family Residence page.