About the Satomi Family Residence Gate
The Satomi Family Residence Gate (里見家住宅門, Satomi-ke Jūtaku Mon) is a late Edo-period gateway, built between 1830 and 1867, at the front of the Satomi farmstead in Shimo-Osaka, Shimonita Town, Gunma Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 5, 2007. It was repaired in 1915.
The timber gate adjoins the east side of the miso storehouse and faces south, under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. It measures 4.3 meters wide and 3.1 meters deep, covering 13 square meters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs classifies it not as a building but as an "other structure".
Why It Was Registered
The Satomi Family Residence Gate was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency's reason is the way the gate combines with the miso storehouse to create the formal front of the property.
The gate does not stand alone: the clay wall of the storehouse runs straight into the timberwork of the gate, and the two read as one continuous facade. Much of the farmstead's character, as seen from the road, comes from this pairing.
A Gate with a Loft Above
What sets the Satomi Family Residence Gate apart is the storage loft built into its upper part. A room-like space carried over the passage recalls the Yaguramon gatehouses of Japanese castles, and the Agency itself describes the exterior as being in the manner of a yaguramon.
The entrance opens at the center of the front, with board walls on either side. The loft above projects forward toward the road, and its face is finished in Shinkabe style, with posts and tie beams left visible in the wall surface. The board walls below and the jettied loft above divide the face of the gate into two clear tiers.
The depth of 3.1 meters, generous for a gate, was probably needed to carry the loft.
Visiting the Satomi Family Residence Gate
The Satomi Family Residence Gate belongs to a private home, and visitors may not pass through it into the grounds.
Because it faces the road to the south, the central entrance, the flanking board walls and the projecting loft can all be seen from the public road. Please avoid lingering in front of the gate where you might block traffic or the residents, and take photographs from a little way along the road.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Satomi Family Residence Gate
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Satomi Family Residence Gate built?
- It dates from the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1867, and was repaired in 1915.
- Why is the Satomi Family Residence Gate a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on December 5, 2007, for contributing to the historic landscape, because together with the miso storehouse it forms the front of the property.
- Why is the Satomi Family Residence Gate compared to a castle yaguramon?
- Because it has a storage loft over the passage that projects toward the road, much like the gatehouses built over castle entrances.
- How large is the Satomi Family Residence Gate?
- It is 4.3 meters wide and 3.1 meters deep, with a footprint of 13 square meters.
- Can visitors walk through the Satomi Family Residence Gate?
- No. It is the gate of a private home. Its front can be seen from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Satomi Family Residence Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 48 Takenohana, Shimo-Osaka, Shimonita-machi, Kanra-gun, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on December 5, 2007 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 13 square meters; 4.3 meters by 3.1 meters |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the public road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Satomi Family Residence Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006627
- Cultural Heritage Online: Satomi Family Residence Gate (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/191350
- Gunma Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Gunma (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.gunma.jp/uploaded/attachment/677575.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.03
