A single-bay gate on the south boundary
The Kojima Family Residence Front Gate (小島家住宅表門, Kojima-ke Jūtaku Omotemon) in Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, is the main entrance to the Kojima household, a single-bay Yakuimon gate built in the early Showa era; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 28, 2010 (number 21-0187).
The Kojima Family Residence Front Gate opens in the south boundary, toward the east, with the outer wall running off on either side. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with giving the front of the property a sense of weight.
Heavy posts and a clamped crossbeam
The opening is 2.3 metres wide. The main front posts are cut to a rectangular section, and the rear Hikaebashira support posts are square. The Kabuki crossbeam on top of the main posts is clamped between an upper and a lower beam. The roof is a gabled pantile roof.
A yakuimon places its ridge between the main and rear posts, so the roof reaches well forward and back. At the Kojima front gate, the stout posts and the beams around the crossbeam give a one-bay gate far more weight than its size would suggest.
A carved gable and a heart-pierced pendant
The detail to look for at the Kojima Family Residence Front Gate is in the gable. A curved Kōryō tie beam carries a Taiheizuka strut shaped to suggest a Kaerumata, the frog-leg bracket of temple and shrine architecture. From the peak hangs a Gegyo gable pendant with side fins, pierced with inome, the heart-shaped openings common on religious buildings.
The eaves have a single layer of widely spaced Taruki rafters, which keeps the roof edge crisp. The gables face left and right rather than toward the road, so the ornament is easiest to read from a slight angle.
Visiting
Standing on the south boundary, the Kojima Family Residence Front Gate is probably one of the few registered parts of the property visible from outside. The grounds behind it are private, however, and no public opening has been announced (as of October 2026). Visitors cannot pass through the gate.
Look from the road without lingering at the entrance. How the property fits together, what can be seen from outside and how to get there are covered on the Kojima Family Residence (Narukiyo, Kakamigahara) page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Kojima Family Residence Front Gate?
- In the Kojima compound in Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, on the south boundary toward the east.
- When was the Kojima Family Residence Front Gate registered as a cultural property?
- On April 28, 2010, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 21-0187.
- What type of gate is the Kojima Family Residence Front Gate?
- An early Showa single-bay yakuimon with a gabled pantile roof, 2.3 metres wide.
- What details should I look for on the Kojima Family Residence Front Gate?
- The rectangular main posts, the crossbeam clamped between two beams, the koryo tie beam and strut in the gable, and the finned, heart-pierced gegyo pendant at the peak.
- Can the Kojima Family Residence Front Gate be seen from outside?
- It stands on the south boundary and can probably be seen from outside, but the grounds are private and visitors cannot go through it.
Basic Information
| Name | Kojima Family Residence Front Gate (小島家住宅表門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-76-2 Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 21-0187 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/04/28 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof; opening 2.3 metres wide |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Kojima Family Residence Front Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008122
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kojima Family Residence Front Gate
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/216260
- Kakamigahara City official website — Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (list of registered structures)
- https://www.city.kakamigahara.lg.jp/kankobunka/bunkazai/1005182.html
- Gifu Prefecture official website (Cultural Heritage Division) — Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (structures)
- https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/page/12417.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
