Before the main house entrance
The Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence (平尾家住宅中門及び板塀) in Morio, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, is the middle gate before the formal entrance of the main house, with the board fences on either side, built in the mid-Meiji era, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 7, 2008 (number 28-0337).
The Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence stands south of the formal entrance of the main house and northeast of the stone bridge: a gate with fences extending to each side. Guests who crossed the bridge were led through it to the formal entrance.
The garden south wall continues from the fence, enclosing the garden in front of the house.
Bracketed gate and black plaster fence
The middle gate of the Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence is a bracketed gate 1.5 metres wide, gabled and pantiled.
The fences on either side run for 12 metres and stand 1.6 metres to the ridge. Square posts rise from a continuous cut-stone footing, the walls are black plaster above a clapboard skirting, and brackets carry an eave beam under a pantile coping.
A dignified approach
The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with giving the approach real dignity. Most walls on the estate are white plaster or bare boards; the black plaster here sets off the front of the main house.
Visiting
The Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence is inside the estate, not open, and not visible from the road.
The story of the estate, what can be seen from the road and directions are on the Hirao Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Where is the Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence?
- North of the Morio River, south of the main house's formal entrance and northeast of the stone bridge.
- When was the Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence registered as a cultural property?
- On March 7, 2008, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 28-0337. It dates from the mid-Meiji era.
- What is special about the Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence?
- Its fences are finished in black plaster above clapboard, unlike most walls on the estate.
- How big is the Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence?
- The gate is 1.5 metres wide; the fences run 12 metres and stand 1.6 metres high.
- Can visitors see the Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence?
- No; it is inside the private grounds and not visible from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence (平尾家住宅中門及び板塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 958 Ando, Morio, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 28-0337 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/03/07 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Middle gate: timber, tiled, 1.5 metres wide; board fence: timber, tiled, 12 metres long |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006913
- Cultural Heritage Online — Hirao Family Residence Middle Gate and Board Fence
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/153515
- Tajima Encyclopedia (Tanshin Regional Promotion Fund) — Hirao Family Residence
- https://tanshin-kikin.jp/tajima/568
Last verified: 2026.10.02
