What Is the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon?
The Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon (旧藤森家住宅勝手門) is a 1.5-metre-wide timber service gate at the east end of the north side of the Fujimori estate in Funabashi-cho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, leading to the kitchen door of the Main Building; it was built in 1940 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2022.
A kattemon is the everyday gate used by the household and by tradespeople. This one went up in 1940, when Fujimori Shinji built the Main Building and completed the estate. The guests' Rojimon Gate had stood further west since 1930, so the north front ended up with two gates for two kinds of traffic.
Form and Registration
Like the Rojimon Gate, the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon is a one-bay Udekimon with a gabled, pantiled roof, and it copies the older gate's knotted log main posts and adze-carved (naguri) rear braces. Matching the ten-year-old garden gate seems to have been a deliberate choice, giving the street front a consistent look.
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a gate that brings modern practicality to a sukiya design.
A Gate with Glass and a Light
The difference from the Rojimon Gate lies in the doors and the transom. Instead of board doors, the Kattemon has glazed lattice doors that slide past each other. Sliding doors need no space to swing, and the glass lets you see who is on the other side: sensible choices for a gate used many times a day.
The Ranma above is made of horizontal bamboo bars, with a light in a glass box set into the centre. At night it would have lit the threshold. Fitting electric light into a sukiya gate was a very 1940 kind of novelty.
The traditional frame of log posts and carved braces stays; only the doors and transom switch to modern materials. In that sense the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon does on a small scale what Ebihara Ichirō's Main Building does for the house as a whole.
Seeing the Kattemon
Because the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon faces the street, its exterior can be seen from the road on any day; the official photograph is taken from this north side.
The glass lattice doors and the light box in the transom can be picked out from the street. The published view of the eave underside is taken from inside, so look up from within the gate on a public opening day. Photography rules are not stated officially, so ask the volunteers. Compare it with the Rojimon Gate further west along the same frontage. Opening dates and directions are on the Former Fujimori Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon (Service Gate)
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Q&A
- Where does the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon lead?
- To the kitchen door of the Main Building. It stands at the east end of the estate's north side and served everyday comings and goings.
- When was the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon built?
- In 1940, when Fujimori Shinji built the Main Building and completed the estate.
- What type of gate is the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon?
- A one-bay bracket gate 1.5 metres wide with a gabled tiled roof, knotted log main posts and adze-carved rear braces.
- What is distinctive about the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon?
- Its sliding glazed lattice doors and a bamboo transom with a light in a glass box at the centre, modern conveniences in a sukiya-style gate.
- Can I see the Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon?
- Its exterior faces the street and can be seen at any time. From inside, visit on the 2nd Sunday of each month, 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Fujimori Family Residence Kattemon (Service Gate) (旧藤森家住宅勝手門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2 Funabashicho 3-chome, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2022 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Width 1.5 m |
| Owner | Himeji City |
| Public Access | Open to the public on the 2nd Sunday of each month, 10 a.m. to 12 noon (may close in bad weather) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 旧藤森家住宅勝手門
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014282
- Himeji City: Public Opening of the Former Fujimori Family Residence
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000030546.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
