The gate that closes the street front
The Miyamoto Family Residence Gate (宮本家住宅門, Miyamotoke Jūtaku Mon) is an early Meiji period gate of 1868 to 1911 at Hojo in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1 July 2003. It stands east of the shop storehouse on the same street frontage, with a plastered wall running between the two so that the whole face of the compound reads as one composition.
The form is Yakuimon, a single-bay gate with one opening. Two main posts carry the load, secondary posts stand behind them, and because the spacing is uneven the ridge sits forward of centre. The opening is 2.4 metres wide. The roof is Kirizuma-zukuri with Sangawara-buki tiles, carried on a single tier of widely spaced rafters.
The wall attached to the gate is built in Shinkabe, with the posts left exposed, its surface finished in Shikkui plaster and its lower zone boarded in Shitami-itabari. A small tiled roof runs along the top of the wall, supported on projecting timber brackets. Gate and wall were registered together, and the Miyamoto Family Residence Gate cannot really be judged apart from it.
A face turned to the street
The Miyamoto Family Residence Gate holds registration No. 08-0085, entered under the criterion for buildings that contribute to the historic landscape of the country. That criterion is less about the merit of a single structure than about the work it does within a townscape.
Standing on the Hojo high street you see, from west to east, the shop storehouse, then the wall, then the gate. A long white plaster surface, broken by a tiled opening. For a family trading as Miyasei on the proceeds of soy sauce, this row was the public face of the business.
The yakuimon type belonged originally to warrior residences and temple precincts, where it carried a degree of formality. A merchant house adopting it at the entrance to its plot says something about where the Miyamoto family stood in Hojo in the early Meiji years. Of the 8 registered buildings on the site, the gate and its immediate neighbours are the ones the street actually sees.
What to look for
Check the position of the ridge first. Because the front and rear posts of a yakuimon are not equally spaced, the ridge shifts towards the front, and seen from the side the roof appears to lean forward over the entrance.
Then look up into the eaves. The rafters form a single tier, set well apart, which is plain work beside the doubled rafters of grander gates. It also means each timber stays legible from below.
Along the wall, the boarding at the base does a specific job: it takes the splash of rain thrown up from the ground, where plaster would erode. White plaster above, boards below, a tiled cap on top. That three-part section runs the length of the frontage. You cannot pass through the Miyamoto Family Residence Gate, but the elevation is yours to study for as long as you like from the pavement.
Visiting
The Miyamoto Family Residence Gate is the entrance to a private house, and there is no admission beyond it. The gate and wall front directly onto the public street, however, which makes this the easiest of the 8 registered buildings on the plot to look at properly.
There are no opening hours to work around and nothing to pay. The elevation faces south, so daylight hours give the most even light on the plaster.
Photography from the public road is unrestricted. Please avoid lingering to shoot through the gate into the grounds. In years when the shop storehouse is opened for autumn events, this stretch of street sees more foot traffic than usual.
There are two bus options. The Oda Shuttle from Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express reaches Hojo Nakamachi in about 45 minutes, while the Hokubu Shuttle covers about 30 minutes to Tsukuba Koryu Center and leaves about 10 minutes on foot. From Tsuchiura Station, the Kantetsu Purple Bus takes about 40 minutes.
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Q&A
- Can I see the Miyamoto Family Residence Gate, and can I walk through it?
- The gate and wall face the public street and can be viewed at any time, free of charge. The grounds beyond are private, so you cannot pass through.
- What type of gate is the Miyamoto Family Residence Gate?
- A yakuimon of one bay with a single opening, 2.4 metres wide, under a gabled roof of pantiles carried on one tier of widely spaced rafters.
- When was the Miyamoto Family Residence Gate registered?
- On 1 July 2003, as registration No. 08-0085, under the criterion for buildings that contribute to the historic landscape.
- Is the wall beside the Miyamoto Family Residence Gate part of the registration?
- Yes, gate and wall were registered as one. The wall has exposed posts, plastered panels, boarded lower sections and a small tiled roof on brackets.
- How do I get to the Miyamoto Family Residence Gate?
- The Oda Shuttle from Tsukuba Station takes about 45 minutes to Hojo Nakamachi. With the Hokubu Shuttle, get off at Tsukuba Koryu Center and walk about 10 minutes.
Basic Information
| Name | Miyamoto Family Residence Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 188 Hojo, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 1 July 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Opening 2.4 metres wide, timber construction, tiled roof, with attached wall |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street at any time; no entry through the gate |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Miyamotoke Jutaku Mon
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003363
- Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education, Cultural Properties of Ibaraki: Miyamotoke Jutaku Misegura and seven other buildings
- https://kyoiku.pref.ibaraki.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-registered-6404/
- Tsukuba City, Protection of Cultural Properties (list of registered tangible cultural properties)
- https://www.city.tsukuba.lg.jp/kankobunka/bunka/rekishi/1001638.html
- Tsukuba Sanroku Hojo, Hojo Town Development Association: Highlights
- https://tsukuba-hojo.jp/highlights/
- Tsukuba-michi Hojo Sanpo, Hojo Town Development Association: Access
- https://old.tsukuba-hojo.jp/access.html
Last verified: 2026.09.07