About the Uehara Family Residence Gate
The Uehara Family Residence Gate (上原家住宅門, Uehara-ke Jūtaku Mon) is the two-storey front gate of a former headman's estate in Nagasu Hondōri, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, built in the early Meiji era and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2011.
The Uehara Family Residence Gate stands on the west side of the plot between the Rice Storehouse and the Annex. It is a timber structure 4.1 metres wide and 5.2 metres deep, with a gabled roof of round and flat tiles. The national database records it as 4.1 m wide; Amagasaki City lists a building area of 21.12 m².
The agency dates it to the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1882, and classes it as a structure other than a building.
Zelkova Doors and Two Wicket Gates
The opening of the Uehara Family Residence Gate is 2.3 metres wide, framed by main gateposts and closed by doors of zelkova board. On each side is a small wicket door.
Traditionally, the big doors of a gate like this were opened for carts or formal visitors, while everyday comings and goings used a wicket. A wicket on each side suggests how much weight this entrance was meant to carry.
The gate also has an upper floor, reached by a stair from the Annex next door, so the gatehouse and the Annex are joined inside.
Stepped Roofs on the Street Front
The Uehara Family Residence Gate was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the agency points to how it sits between its neighbours.
Its ridge is set at a different height from both the Rice Storehouse to the north and the Annex to the south, giving a roof in two tiers. The agency calls the result heavy yet varied. In the continuous street front of three buildings, the Uehara Family Residence Gate supplies the change in height.
Seeing the Uehara Family Residence Gate
The Uehara Family Residence is a private home, and visitors cannot pass through the Uehara Family Residence Gate; the upper room is not open either.
The gate faces the west road, and the zelkova doors, the wickets on either side and the stepped roofs are the details to look for from there, although the view has not been checked on site. Please do not linger at the gate or look in through the wickets, and photograph only from the public road. Directions are on the Uehara Family Residence page.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Uehara Family Residence Gate
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Uehara Family Residence Gate built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1882.
- What are the doors of the Uehara Family Residence Gate like?
- A 2.3 m opening with main gateposts and zelkova board doors, and a wicket door on each side.
- Is there a room above the Uehara Family Residence Gate?
- Yes. The gate has an upper floor reached by a stair from the neighbouring Annex. It is not open to visitors.
- Why is the Uehara Family Residence Gate a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2011 for its contribution to the historic landscape, with roofs stepped against the Rice Storehouse and the Annex.
- Can visitors walk through the Uehara Family Residence Gate?
- No. The Uehara Family Residence is a private home, and Amagasaki City states that it is not open to the public. The gate faces the west road.
Basic Information
| Name | Uehara Family Residence Gate (上原家住宅門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-60 Nagasuhondori, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2011 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 4.1 m wide (4.1 m by 5.2 m); building area 21.12 m² |
| 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): 上原家住宅門
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008519
- Cultural Heritage Online: 上原家住宅門
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180535
- Amagasaki City: Uehara Family Residence (registered cultural properties of Amagasaki)
- https://www.city.amagasaki.hyogo.jp/manabu/bunkazai_0/1028308/1028313/1028795.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
