Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall: The Threshold of a Soy Sauce House
On the south edge of the residence lot, just south of the soy sauce works, stands the gate that marks the entrance to the Shioda Family Residence in the Maki district of Shodoshima, Kagawa Prefecture. This is the nagayamon, a long single-storey gatehouse, together with the wall that runs from it. Both belong to the compound of the family behind Yamasan Soy Sauce and date from the early Showa period.
The gatehouse is roofed in hongawara tiles under an irimoya hip-and-gable form. Its lower walls are faced with yakisugi, cedar boards charred to a hard black surface that resists rot and insects, while the walls above are finished in black shikkui plaster. A side gate opens to the east, and a tea room is joined to the west end, so the gatehouse is not a single doorway but a range of connected spaces. The town's visitor information notes that the gate is built with a single wide zelkova board, a detail pointed out on guided visits to the grounds.
Why It Was Registered
The nagayamon and wall were entered on the national register of Tangible Cultural Properties on 25 June 2002, in the thirty-third round, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape. The wall is central to that value. Running about eighteen meters, it is finished in combed concrete on the inside and vertical boarding on the outside, and where it follows the Umaki River it rises in a genji-bei form atop a tanizumi stone retaining wall, its blocks set in the diagonal valley pattern that gives the technique its name.
The pairing of gate and wall shows how a private household shaped a public street. The charred-cedar dado, the black plaster, the tiled gable, and the stone-based riverside wall together present a composed face to anyone approaching along the water, and they set the tone for the whole Hishio no Sato quarter, where brewery buildings and family compounds line the lanes.
What to Look For
Begin at the gate itself. The contrast of charred black cedar below and smooth black plaster above is subtle but deliberate, two different blacks doing different jobs, one rough and protective, one polished and formal. Note the side gate to the east and the tea room to the west, which tell you the gatehouse handled more than comings and goings.
Then follow the wall toward the river. Where it meets the water it climbs onto a tanizumi stone base and takes the genji-bei profile, turning a plain boundary into part of the riverside scene. The residence is private and in use, so the gate and wall are appreciated from the street; the grounds themselves can be visited by reservation with Yamasan Soy Sauce, and the wider brewing quarter is open to walkers.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shioda Family Residence Tenement Gate and Fence
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- What is a nagayamon?
- A long single-storey gatehouse. Here it also connects to a side gate on the east and a tea room on the west, so it is a range of spaces, not just a doorway.
- What is the black lower facing on the gate?
- Yakisugi, cedar boards charred black to resist rot and insects. The walls above are finished in black shikkui plaster.
- What is special about the wall along the river?
- Where it follows the Umaki River it rises in a genji-bei form on a tanizumi stone retaining wall, with blocks set in a diagonal valley pattern.
- When was it registered?
- On 25 June 2002, with the other early-Showa Shioda structures, for its role in the historic landscape.
- Can I go through the gate?
- The residence is private and in use. The gate and wall are seen from the street, and the grounds can be visited by reservation with Yamasan Soy Sauce.
Basic Information
| Name | Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 140-2 Ishii-ko, Noma, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Registration date | 25 June 2002 (Heisei 14), 33rd round |
| Count | One building |
| Period | Early Showa |
| Structure | Wood, single storey; tiled roof; building area about 35 sq m; wall length about 18 m |
| Owner and use | Yamasan Soy Sauce (private, operating property) |
| Access | Gate and wall from the street; grounds by reservation |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002827
- Cultural Heritage Online, Agency for Cultural Affairs
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/115907
- Yamasan Soy Sauce, Shodoshima Town
- https://www.town.shodoshima.lg.jp/kanko/miru/sangyo/yamasan.html
- Soy Sauce Warehouses and Stone-Tool Streetscape (Japan Heritage)
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/4568/
Last verified: 2026.07.10