What Is the Sato Family Residence Harada Gate?
The Sato Family Residence Harada Gate (佐藤家住宅原田門, Satō-ke Jūtaku Haradamon) is a timber yakuimon gate of the late Edo period, between about 1830 and 1867, moved in the late Taisho period to the Yokoya Sake Brewery and Sato Family Residence site in Senmaya, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.
It serves as a side gate on the northeast edge of the grounds, between the New Storehouse and the Document Storehouse. Tradition holds that it came from the residence of the Harada family, senior retainers (karō) of the Tamura clan who ruled the Ichinoseki Domain. The opening is about 2.6 metres wide, a single bay with a single doorway, roofed in sheet iron and built mainly of zelkova.
Why It Was Registered
The registration criterion is that the structure serves as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the kaerumata carved with cloud-like scrolls, placed along the ridge line and on both gable ends, as showing the design of the late Edo period. Its registration number is 03-0043.
Measured by the dates in the Agency's database, the Sato Family Residence Harada Gate is the oldest of the twenty registered structures now standing on the site. Among the Meiji and Taisho house and brewery buildings, it is the one piece that comes from a samurai residence.
What to Look For
Look up above the beam. The kaerumata, literally frog's legs, is a splayed block that sits on the beam and carries the load above; here each one is carved with swirling cloud motifs.
The eaves have two tiers of closely spaced rafters, a treatment called futanoki shigedaruki. Even on a gate this small, the dense lines under the eaves lend it a formal air. Take in the zelkova grain along with the shadows of the carving.
On either side stand the New Storehouse of 1922 and the Document Storehouse of 1923: two white Taisho storehouses with an Edo-period wooden gate between them, one of the most memorable corners of the estate.
Visiting
On opening days of the Senmaya Sake no Kura Exchange Facility, the Sato Family Residence Harada Gate can be seen from the grounds free of charge. It stands between the New Storehouse and the Document Storehouse, so take in all three together. The kaerumata sit high up; step back from the front of the gate and look up to make out their shape. Directions, opening days and hours are on the page for the Yokoya Sake Brewery and Sato Family Residence.
Q&A
- When was the Sato Family Residence Harada Gate built?
- In the late Edo period, between about 1830 and 1867, and it was moved to the site in the late Taisho period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 31, 2003.
- Where did the Sato Family Residence Harada Gate come from?
- Tradition says it was moved from the residence of the Harada family, senior retainers of the Tamura clan of the Ichinoseki Domain.
- What type of gate is the Sato Family Residence Harada Gate?
- A yakuimon about 2.6 metres wide with one bay and one doorway, double-tiered close-set rafters and a sheet-iron roof, built mainly of zelkova.
- What should I look for on the Sato Family Residence Harada Gate?
- The kaerumata carved with cloud-like scrolls on the ridge line and both gable ends, which show late Edo design.
- Can you visit the Sato Family Residence Harada Gate?
- Yes, from within the grounds free of charge on opening days. It stands between the New Storehouse and the Document Storehouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Sato Family Residence Harada Gate (佐藤家住宅原田門) |
|---|---|
| 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 | Timber, yakuimon gate, sheet-iron roof, opening about 2.6 metres wide |
| Owner | Ichinoseki City |
| Public Access | Viewable free of charge from the grounds on opening days |
References
- Sato Family Residence Harada Gate, Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003032
- Senmaya Sake no Kura Exchange Facility (Senmaya Machizukuri Co., Ltd.)
- https://sakenokura.com/wp/kura/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
