The Goyashiki Front Gate
Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate (郷屋敷（旧井上家住宅）表門, omotemon) is the early Meiji-era gate at the center of the street front of the Inoue family estate in Mure-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on October 12, 2001.
It faces the prefectural road, flanked by the Rice Storehouse to the east and the Storehouse to the west. The national database records a timber gate with a tiled roof, an opening 1.8 meters wide and a wicket door on each side. It dates from the early Meiji era, shortly after 1868.
How the Front Gate Is Built
The Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate was registered as a model of design. A wide main opening sits on the ridge line, with a narrow wicket door to either side. At each end, bracket arms reach forward and back to rest on bracing posts. The roof is a gabled one laid with hongawara tiles.
The official commentary praises the gate's neat proportions and, above all, the skill with which it meets the storehouses on either side. The gate was designed to form one continuous facade with them rather than to stand alone. The Goyashiki website describes it as a Shikyakumon, a four-legged gate.
Seeing the Front Gate from the Road
The Goyashiki Front Gate is one of the few registered structures here that anyone can see from outside. Viewed from across the road, the balance of the 3 openings is easy to read, as is the way the ends of the gate meet the storehouse walls.
Before stepping through, stand in the opening and look up to see where the bracket arms project. Inside, the paved path splits left and right, and the route to the Main House begins on the left.
Visiting the Front Gate
The Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate is the entrance to the Goyashiki restaurant, so during business hours you pass through it as a guest. Outside those hours, the gate can still be seen from the road.
The gate opens onto a prefectural road; watch for traffic when taking photographs and keep clear of the carriageway. Hours and directions are on the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) group page.
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Q&A
- When was the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate built?
- In the early Meiji era, shortly after 1868. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2001.
- What kind of gate is the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate?
- A gabled gate with a hongawara tile roof, a wide central opening, a narrow wicket door on each side, and bracket arms resting on bracing posts. The opening is recorded as 1.8 meters wide.
- What stands on either side of the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate?
- The Rice Storehouse to the east and the Storehouse to the west. Together they form the street facade of the estate.
- Can the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate be seen outside restaurant hours?
- Yes, from the road. Enter the grounds only while the restaurant is open.
- Why was the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate registered?
- As a model of design, for its neat construction and the skillful way it joins the storehouses beside it.
Basic Information
| Name | Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 1987 Omachi, Mure-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2001 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, opening 1.8 meters wide, with a wicket door on each side |
| Owner | Not disclosed (no owner listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Entrance to the Goyashiki restaurant; exterior visible from the road |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Properties Database: Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002454
- Cultural Heritage Online: Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Front Gate
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/115334
- Goyashiki official website: About Goyashiki
- https://goyashiki.co.jp/about/
Last verified: 2026.09.16
