A Meiji Gate Framing the Garden
The Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate (村上家住宅腕木門, Murakami-ke Jūtaku Udegimon) is a timber garden gate of the late Meiji period (1898–1911) in Imazu-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, registered together with its flanking walls as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2010 under registration number 34-0102.
It closes off the garden on the south side of the main house. The opening is 3.4 metres wide, the roof is gabled with pantiles, and tile-capped walls run out to either side.
An udegimon is a gate whose eaves are carried on arms (udegi) projecting from the main posts. Here the arms support the eaves purlin, and a single row of widely spaced rafters (Taruki) completes the roof.
Why It Was Registered
On the Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate, a lintel ties the two main posts together, and above it sits a Ranma transom made of timbers crossed in a well-curb grid. Below the lintel, the sides are closed with earthen wall and the centre holds a pair of doors that slide apart.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises the gate's refined design and its role as an element of the garden landscape. Where the long gatehouse gives the estate a heavy public front, this is a light gate placed just before the garden, different in purpose and in character.
Like the main house, it is dated to the late Meiji period, and the garden may have been reworked when the house was rebuilt. No source we found confirms that the two were built together.
What to Look For
On the Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate, look first for the grid transom above the lintel. Plain timbers crossed like the character 井 open up the top of the gate.
Then look at the arms reaching forward from the tops of the posts. By cantilevering the eaves, they give the gate deep overhangs without extra posts, and with the sparse single-row rafters they keep the whole structure light.
On dimensions, the national database gives the opening as 3.4 metres, while its explanatory text puts the main posts 3.5 metres apart. The difference most likely reflects where each figure was measured.
Visiting
The Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate stands in the garden south of the main house, inside a private residence. It is not open to the public, and as of September 2026 there were no announced visit arrangements. Views from outside the property are limited. The Murakami Family Residence page covers the estate layout and directions.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate?
- It stands in the garden of a private residence and is not open to the public. As of September 2026 there were no announced visit arrangements.
- When was the Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate built?
- The national register dates it to the late Meiji period (1898–1911), the same period as the main house.
- What is an udegimon gate?
- A gate whose eaves are carried on arms projecting from the main posts. This one has a gabled pantiled roof and tile-capped walls on either side.
- How big is the Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate?
- The opening is 3.4 metres wide. The explanatory text gives the spacing of the main posts as 3.5 metres.
- What should you look for at the Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate?
- The grid-pattern transom above the lintel, the central sliding doors, and the projecting arms that carry the deep eaves.
Basic Information
| Name | Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate (村上家住宅腕木門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1929 Naganami, Imazu-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 34-0102 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/9/10 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, opening 3.4 metres, with walls |
| Owner | Not listed (Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Private residence; not open, no public opening announced |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008374
- Cultural Heritage Online: Murakami Family Residence Udegimon Gate
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/209246
- Fukuyama Cultural Properties Navi (Fukuyama City): Murakami Family Residence Main House and seven others
- https://fukubun.net/ja/collection/692
Last verified: 2026.09.24
