A gate and fence across the garden
The Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall (小島家住宅中門及び庭塀, Kojima-ke Jūtaku Nakamon oyobi Niwabei) in Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, is the early Showa gate and board fence that divide the garden south of the Kojima main house; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 28, 2010 (number 21-0189).
The garden wall runs north to south and turns a corner, 7.1 metres in all. The middle gate of the Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall opens halfway along it.
A gate built of logs
The middle gate is a 1.5-metre-wide Udekimon, a gate whose roof rests on bracket arms. Its roof is hipped-gable in pantiles, with copper sheeting (Dōban-buki) only along the eaves. The frame and the Taruki rafters are made of logs left round rather than squared, and a Ranma transom panel decorates the top.
Showing the natural surface of round timber rather than sawn beams is a technique borrowed from tea houses and sukiya buildings. Where the front gate announces itself with heavy posts and a curved tie beam, the middle gate is small and relaxed.
A copper-capped board fence
The garden wall is a board fence capped in copper, light in construction compared with the earthen outer wall on its stone base. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Kojima middle gate and garden wall as sukiya-style in design, with a refined presence.
The front gate and outer wall face the street; the middle gate and garden wall face whoever is stepping into the garden. This one registration shows clearly how the same household designed its gates and walls differently for outside and inside.
Visiting
The Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall stand inside the compound, in the garden south of the main house, and are not open. They are probably not visible from the road.
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 Middle Gate and Garden Wall?
- In the Kojima compound in Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, dividing the garden south of the main house.
- When was the Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall registered as a cultural property?
- On April 28, 2010, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 21-0189.
- How big is the Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall?
- The middle gate is 1.5 metres wide, and the garden wall is 7.1 metres long including its turn.
- What is distinctive about the Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall?
- The gate is a hipped-gable udekimon framed in round logs, with copper-sheeted eaves and a transom panel; the wall is a copper-capped board fence in sukiya style.
- Can visitors see the Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall?
- No. They are inside the private compound and probably cannot be seen from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall (小島家住宅中門及び庭塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-76-2 Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 21-0189 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/04/28 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Middle gate: timber, tiled roof, 1.5 metres wide / Garden wall: timber, copper roof, 7.1 metres long |
| 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 Middle Gate and Garden Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008124
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kojima Family Residence Middle Gate and Garden Wall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/196842
- 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
