Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall
The Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall (瀧口家住宅中門及び袖塀, Takiguchi-ke Jūtaku Chūmon oyobi Sodebei) is an inner gate and screening wall in Haruta-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, built around 1913 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018.
The gate is a Yakuimon with an opening 1.7 metres wide, under a gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. The timber Sodobei side wall that continues from it, also tiled, has a total length of 12 metres. Together they run north to south from the main house toward the gatehouse, separating the entrance court from the garden in front of the reception rooms and guest hall. They date from the same years as the main house, when the inner spaces of the estate were being laid out.
Rustic Detail, Robust Proportions
According to the national description, the Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall uses round, unsquared logs throughout: posts, lintel, beams and even the Taruki rafters. Exposed logs of this kind belong to the vocabulary of the tea house and Sukiya-zukuri architecture.
Yet the same text notes that the members are thick and the overall bearing imposing. The gate borrows the refined, informal language of sukiya design without losing the weight a gate should have. The side wall carries a small roof supported on bracket arms. It was registered as a contributor to the historic landscape.
What to Look for at the Middle Gate and Side Wall
The yakuimon form
A yakuimon sets rear posts behind the main posts and covers both with a gabled roof. The origin of the name, which contains the characters for medicine and physician, is debated, but finding this gate type at a doctor's house is a pleasing coincidence.
Logs with heft
The appeal of the Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall lies in how it handles log construction, which often reads as delicate, with heavy members. Every part, down to the rafters, shares the same rounded texture, so the gate looks light but feels substantial.
A line between front and back
Passing through the middle gate took a visitor from the entrance court into the garden on the reception side. The main house divides public and private rooms front to back; outdoors, this gate and wall draw the same boundary.
Visiting the Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall
The Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall stands inside the grounds, behind the gatehouse. It belongs to a private home with no published visitor arrangements, so you cannot approach it. Please stay off the property and view only what can be seen from outside.
Keep photography to the public road. Directions are on the Takiguchi Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall
- [ Itsukushima Shrine & Hiroshima Peace Memorial ]
Q&A
- When was the Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall built?
- Around 1913, at about the same time as the main house.
- What type of gate is the Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall?
- The gate is a yakuimon with an opening 1.7 metres wide under a gabled pantile roof, built entirely of round log members.
- What role does the Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall play on the estate?
- It runs north to south between the main house and the gatehouse, dividing the entrance court from the garden of the reception rooms and guest hall.
- How long is the side wall of the Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall?
- The timber, tile-roofed side wall has a total length of 12 metres, with its roof supported on bracket arms.
- Can I visit the Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall?
- It stands inside the grounds and there are no published visitor arrangements. Please remain outside the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Takiguchi Family Residence Middle Gate and Side Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Iwami, Haruta-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/3/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Middle gate: timber, tiled roof, opening 1.7 metres wide / Side wall: timber, tiled roof, total length 12 metres |
| Owner | Private (owner not disclosed) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 瀧口家住宅中門及び袖塀
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012243
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Council recommendation on new Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/r1392281_21.pdf
- Shobara City, Registered Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.shobara.hiroshima.jp/main/education/shogaigakushu/cat02/02/post_192.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
