What Is the Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall?
The Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall (佐藤家住宅庭門及び石塀, Satō-ke Jūtaku Niwamon oyobi Ishibei) is a stone side gate and short wall built in the late Taisho period on the Yokoya Sake Brewery and Sato Family Residence site in Senmaya, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.
The wall closes off the western corner of the estate, and an arched side gate opens in its southern end. It is modest in size: the gateway is 1.2 metres wide and the wall 2.6 metres long. The Small Storehouse stands in the same corner, and gate, wall and storehouse meet the street together.
Why It Was Registered
The registration criterion is that the structure contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, together with the storehouse, it shapes the streetscape. Its registration number is 03-0042.
Next to the 45-metre Main Gate and Stone Wall, this is a small piece: just 2.6 metres of wall. Yet this corner, where white storehouse wall meets the stone gate, does much to set the image of the Sato Family Residence from the road.
What to Look For
The arch is built of granite up to its crown and tuff above, and the surface is dressed smooth. The rest of the wall keeps a textured finish, so the smooth surround marks the doorway at a glance.
The wall itself follows the recipe of the Main Gate and Stone Wall: edokiri-dressed granite below, tuff finished with a bishan, the point-headed mason's hammer, above, and coping stones on top. The south and west walls of the estate were plainly built to one standard. Compare the smooth gate surround and the pitted wall at the same eye level.
Visiting
The Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall faces the street and can be seen from outside the grounds. On opening days of the Senmaya Sake no Kura Exchange Facility you can also see it from inside, but follow the signs on site as to whether the side gate may be used as an entrance. Look at it together with the namako-kabe of the neighbouring Small Storehouse. Directions, opening days and hours are on the page for the Yokoya Sake Brewery and Sato Family Residence.
Q&A
- When were the Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall built?
- In the late Taisho period. They were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 31, 2003.
- How big are the Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall?
- The gateway is 1.2 metres wide and the wall is 2.6 metres long.
- What does the Sato Family Residence Garden Gate look like?
- It is an arched side gate, granite up to the crown of the arch and tuff above, dressed to a smooth finish.
- Is the Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall built like the Main Gate wall?
- The wall is: edokiri-dressed granite below, bush-hammered tuff above and coping stones on top. Only the gate surround is smooth.
- Where can I see the Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall?
- From the street outside the grounds, at the western corner of the estate near the Small Storehouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall (佐藤家住宅庭門及び石塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 134 Kitakata, Senmaya, Senmaya-cho, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/1/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, gateway 1.2 metres wide, wall 2.6 metres long |
| Owner | Ichinoseki City |
| Public Access | Visible from the street at any time; also viewable from the grounds on opening days |
References
- Sato Family Residence Garden Gate and Stone Wall, Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003031
- Senmaya Sake no Kura Exchange Facility (Senmaya Machizukuri Co., Ltd.)
- https://sakenokura.com/wp/kura/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
