The main gateway between stable and charcoal shed
The Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate (日下家住宅表門, Kusaka-ke Jūtaku Omotemon) in Awaga, Santo-cho, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture, is the yakuimon gateway that forms the main entrance, built late in the Edo period; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 26, 2011 (number 28-0507). It stands as a north-south structure between the stable and the charcoal shed.
The Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate is the main entrance to the compound, with the stable to the north and the charcoal shed to the south, so that gate and outbuildings together form a solid front. Walls extend from the gate to the north and south, with a small wicket door on the south side.
A one-bay yakuimon in zelkova
The Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate is a one-bay yakuimon, 2.4 metres wide, with a gabled pantile roof. A lintel beam sits on the main posts, beams run fore and aft, and short struts on boat-shaped bearing blocks carry the ridge. The eaves have a single layer of widely spaced rafters.
Simple lines and the dignity of zelkova
The Kusaka front gate is plainly designed, but it is built of zelkova, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a gate of real dignity. Read with the plastered walls of the stable and charcoal shed on either side, it gives the house the calm, formal entrance of a major landowner.
Visiting
The Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate is the entrance to a private home: the gateway can be seen from the road, but you cannot go through it. Look in passing rather than lingering at the gate.
The background of the property, what can be seen from outside and directions are on the Kusaka Family Residence (Asago) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- Where is the Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate?
- At the front of the Kusaka compound in Awaga, Santo-cho, Asago City, between the stable and the charcoal shed.
- When was the Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate registered as a cultural property?
- On January 26, 2011, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 28-0507.
- What type of gate is the Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate?
- A one-bay yakuimon 2.4 metres wide with a gabled pantile roof, walls on both sides and a wicket door to the south.
- What is the Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate made of?
- Zelkova. The design is plain but the gate has real presence.
- Can visitors see the Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate?
- The gateway can be seen from the road, but the grounds behind it are private.
Basic Information
| Name | Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate (日下家住宅表門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2097 Nishitani, Awaga, Santo-cho, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 28-0507 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/01/26 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof; 2.4 metres wide; with walls |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence); outer face visible from the road |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Kusaka Family Residence Front Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008560
- Tajima Encyclopedia (Tanshin Regional Promotion Fund) — Kusaka Family Residence
- https://tanshin-kikin.jp/tajima/576
Last verified: 2026.10.02
