Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic
The Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic (瀧口家住宅長屋門及び診療所, Takiguchi-ke Jūtaku Nagayamon oyobi Shinryōjo) is a pair of buildings in Haruta-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, built around 1902 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018.
The two structures run along the north side of the Takiguchi estate. The Nagayamon, a gatehouse with rooms built into it, is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri building of 78 square metres with thick clay-plastered walls. The clinic beside it is a single-storey dozo-zukuri building of 74 square metres. Both are roofed in tile. According to the Council for Cultural Affairs, the gatehouse was built when the clinic opened in 1902; the main house did not follow until 1913.
A Country Hospital from the Late Meiji Period
What makes the Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic valuable is how clearly its medical use can still be read. The west room and the whole upper floor of the gatehouse housed the director and inpatients, and a built-in bench lines the upstairs corridor. The clinic held the consulting room and a delivery room, both lit by windows on the south side.
The Council described the ensemble as a faithful record of a provincial hospital of the late Meiji period. The national database files it not as housing but under culture and welfare facilities. The practice that villagers once built walls to welcome survives here as architecture.
What to Look for at the Nagayamon Gate and Clinic
Hospital rooms inside a gate
A nagayamon traditionally flanked its passage with servants' rooms and storage. At the Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic, those rooms and the floor above were turned over to the director's quarters and inpatient beds. The fixed bench in the upstairs corridor suggests a floor designed for people who stayed, not merely for storage.
Thick walls, south light
Dozo-zukuri construction, with walls built up in clay and plaster, resists fire and stands up to snowy winters, but it tends toward closed, dim interiors. The clinic answers that with windows opened on the south side of the consulting and delivery rooms, a small but telling concession to the needs of medicine.
The estate's front
Occupying the north edge of the property, the gatehouse forms the formal front of the estate. Inside, a middle gate and side wall run south toward the entrance of the main house.
Visiting the Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic
The Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic is privately owned, and there is no published interior opening; the consulting rooms and wards cannot be visited. View the exterior from outside the gate and do not walk onto the grounds.
Keep photography to the exterior from the public road and be considerate of the residents. Directions are on the Takiguchi Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic
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Q&A
- When was the Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic built?
- Around 1902. The gatehouse was built when the clinic opened, making it the starting point of the estate.
- How was the Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic used?
- The gatehouse's west room and upper floor held the director's quarters and inpatient rooms; the clinic contained the consulting room and a delivery room.
- Can I visit inside the Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic?
- No. It is privately owned with no published interior opening. Please look at the exterior from the public road only.
- What are the dimensions of the Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic?
- The gatehouse is a 2-storey dozo-zukuri building of 78 square metres; the clinic is a single-storey dozo-zukuri building of 74 square metres, both with tiled roofs.
- Why is the Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic considered important?
- The Council for Cultural Affairs judged that the combination of a gatehouse with inpatient rooms and an attached clinic faithfully records a provincial hospital of the late Meiji period.
Basic Information
| Name | Takiguchi Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Clinic |
|---|---|
| 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 building |
| Dimensions | Nagayamon gate: 2-storey dozo-zukuri, tiled roof, building area 78 square metres / Clinic: single-storey dozo-zukuri, tiled roof, building area 74 square 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: 瀧口家住宅長屋門及び診療所
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012245
- Cultural Heritage Online: 瀧口家住宅長屋門及び診療所
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/398665
- 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
