About the Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate
The Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate (森松家住宅中門, Morimatsu-ke Jūtaku Chūmon) is a small early-Shōwa gate between the main house and the annex of a former headman's estate in Mukonoso Higashi, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2009.
The Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate is an Udekimon, a gate whose roof rests on bracket arms, with an opening 1.3 metres wide and a gabled roof of pantiles. Side walls run out from it on both sides and turn corners as they go.
A Gate Inside the Walls
The Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate does not divide the estate from the street. It divides the main-house side of the compound from the annex garden. Because its side walls bend round, the garden beyond feels set apart, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs credits this arrangement with creating a secluded, well-kept garden space.
The Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for its contribution to the historic landscape. Built in the same early-Shōwa years as the annex, it is the other half of the work that finished the garden east of the main house.
A Slatted Transom and Matching Walls
Board doors hang in the opening of the Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate, and above them the small wall panel holds an Osa-ranma, a transom of closely set thin slats more often seen between the rooms of a reception suite. It lends the little gate a lighter look.
The south face of the side walls has vertical boarding below and black lime plaster above, with a band of white plaster between. That is exactly the finish of the outer wall around the estate, so this inner gate is dressed to match the perimeter.
Seeing the Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate
The Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate stands inside the grounds of a private home and is not open. Whether it can be seen from the street is unconfirmed.
The same black-and-white wall finish can be seen on the outer wall around the estate. The route from the station is given on the Morimatsu Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Shōwa era, the same period as the annex.
- Where is the Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate?
- Inside the compound, between the main house and the annex, closing off the garden in front of the annex.
- What type of gate is the Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate?
- A bracket-arm udekimon gate 1.3 metres wide with a gabled pantile roof and side walls that turn corners.
- Why is the Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2009 for contributing to the historic landscape; with its side walls it creates a secluded garden space.
- Can I see the Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate?
- No. The Morimatsu Family Residence is a private home and is not open to the public, and the gate stands inside the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Morimatsu Family Residence Middle Gate (森松家住宅中門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-105 Mukonoso Higashi, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, etc. |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2009 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Opening 1.3 m wide |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private home; exterior from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 森松家住宅中門
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007785
- Amagasaki City: Morimatsu Family Residence (registered cultural properties of Amagasaki)
- https://www.city.amagasaki.hyogo.jp/manabu/bunkazai_0/1028308/1028313/1028789.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
