A Gatehouse on a Stone Wall Above the Old Road
The Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate (伊佐治家住宅長屋門, Isaji-ke Jūtaku Nagayamon) is a late Edo-period gatehouse in Furuyashiki, Mitake Town, Gifu Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on May 10, 2018. Single-storey and tile-roofed, with a building area of 73 square metres, it stands a little back from the old road along the west side of the estate, raised on a retaining wall of rough Nozurazumi fieldstone.
The ridge runs north-south for 20 metres under a gabled roof, and the gate opening sits toward the south end rather than at the centre. A Nagayamon is a gate flanked by rooms or storage bays under one long roof; in the Edo period such gates fronted samurai residences and the houses of village officials and prosperous farmers.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the gatehouse to the late Edo period, with a range of 1751 to 1830. Family records, however, credit its construction to Tōzaburō, who is said to have become a steward of the Tsumaki bannerman house in 1855, later than that range. The date of construction remains open to question.
A Front Built to Impress
The walls of the Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate are finished in an earthen intermediate coat, with a lower band of Shitami-itabari clapboarding held in place by sasarako battens: vertical strips notched to fit the step of each overlapping board, so that the horizontal lines of the boards and the vertical battens lock together in a fine rhythm. The openings are fitted with projecting wooden lattices, Degōshi.
The Agency's citation calls the construction solid and substantial, and credits the gatehouse with giving the estate a front of real dignity. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, as the face the estate presents to the road.
What to Look For
Start with the wall and the gate together. Set back from the road and lifted on the stone base, the long gatehouse makes anyone passing look up at the estate. The stones are barely dressed, and their roughness plays against the orderly boarding above.
Then note where the opening falls. With the entrance pushed toward the south end of a 20-metre building, the façade is deliberately asymmetrical, and the long run of wall and lattice to the north of the opening carries much of the gate's weight.
Visiting
The Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate belongs to a private estate and its interior is not open to the public. It is the only one of the five buildings facing the old road, so, judging from the layout, it is the main part of the estate visible from outside. Please look and photograph only from the road, do not step through the gate, and remember that this is a family's home. Directions and general visiting conditions are covered on the Isaji Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, with a range of 1751 to 1830. Family records attribute it to Tōzaburō, who became a steward of the Tsumaki house in 1855, so the two sources do not quite agree.
- How big is the Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate?
- It is a single-storey tiled building with a building area of 73 square metres, running 20 metres north-south, with the gate opening set toward the south end.
- What are the notable features of the Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate's walls?
- Earthen-coated walls with a lower band of clapboarding held by notched sasarako battens, projecting wooden lattices at the openings, and a base of rough fieldstone walling.
- Why is the Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on May 10, 2018, for its contribution to the historic landscape. The citation praises its solid construction and the dignified front it gives the estate.
- Can the Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate be seen from outside?
- Its interior is not open, but because it faces the old road, the exterior can likely be seen from there, judging from the layout. Please stay on the road and do not enter through the gate.
Basic Information
| Name | Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 381 Daioji, Furuyashiki, Mitake-cho, Kani-gun, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/5/10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single-storey, tiled roof, building area 73 square metres, 20 metres long |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | No regular public access (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Isaji Family Residence Nagayamon Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012369
- Gifu Prefecture: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures)
- https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/page/12417.html
- Isaji Family Residence (family website)
- https://isaji-yashiki.jimdofree.com/
- Isaji Family Residence: History of the Isaji Family
- https://isaji-yashiki.jimdofree.com/%E5%B1%8B%E6%95%B7/%E6%AD%B4%E5%8F%B2/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
