About the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall
The Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall (塩田家住宅長屋門及び塀) is an early Showa-era Nagayamon gatehouse and wall on the south edge of the Shioda family residence in Nouma, Shodoshima-cho, Kagawa Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2002.
It marks the southern boundary of the residence plot, which in turn lies south of the Yamasan brewery. The gatehouse is a single-story timber building of 35 square meters, and the wall that runs from it is 18 meters long. A side gate opens to the east of the main gate, and a tea room is attached on the west.
For anyone approaching the home of the Yamasan brewing family, the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall is the first thing they face: the formal front of the house.
Why the Gate and Wall Were Listed
The Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs highlights the stretch along the Umaki River, where the wall rises from a stone embankment laid in the tanizumi style and is finished as a roofed board fence (genji-bei).
The gatehouse also does more than let people in. With a side gate on one side and a tea room on the other, it forms a small cluster of spaces, a brewing family's way of greeting guests at the threshold. Gate and wall together carry both the standing of the house and the look of the riverside street.
What to Look For at the Shioda Nagayamon Gate and Wall
The gatehouse of the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall has a hip-and-gable roof in traditional round-and-flat tiles (Hongawarabuki). The lower walls are clad in charred cedar and the upper walls finished in black plaster. Rough charred wood below and smooth polished plaster above: the same black, two very different textures.
The wall is finished differently on each side. Inside the grounds it is concrete scored with a comb pattern; outside it is vertical boarding. Using concrete, still a new material in the early Showa years, only on the inner face suggests a choice to keep a traditional timber face toward the street.
Along the Umaki River the base of the wall becomes a tanizumi embankment, with stones set diagonally so that the courses form a run of V shapes, and the board fence sits on top. Seen from the riverbank, the embankment and wall turn the edge of the property into part of the waterside scene.
Visiting the Shioda Family Residence Gate and Wall
Because the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall runs along the south edge of the plot and the river, it is the easiest of the Shioda buildings to see from outside. It is private property, though, and you can only go through the gate on Yamasan's reserved tour.
If you stop to look from outside, keep clear of the gateway. Ask when booking, or on the tour, whether you can see the tea room and side gate up close, and what you may photograph.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- What is the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall?
- The Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall is an early Showa-era nagayamon gatehouse of 35 square meters and an 18-meter wall on the south edge of the Shioda residence.
- When was the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall registered?
- The Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 25, 2002.
- What is distinctive about the gatehouse of the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall?
- The gatehouse of the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall has a hip-and-gable roof in traditional tiles, charred cedar lower walls and black plaster above, with a side gate to the east and a tea room to the west.
- How is the wall of the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall built?
- The wall of the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall is comb-textured concrete inside and vertical boards outside. Along the Umaki River it stands on a tanizumi stone embankment as a roofed board fence.
- Can you see the Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall from outside?
- Yes. The Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall runs along the south edge of the property and the Umaki River, so it is easy to see from outside. Entering requires Yamasan's reserved tour.
Basic Information
| Name | Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 140-2 Ishii-ko, Nouma, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 35 m², wall length 18 m (single-story timber frame) |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Partly visible from outside; grounds shown on guided tours by reservation |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002827
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shioda Family Residence Nagayamon Gate and Wall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/115907
- Shodoshima Town: Yamasan Soy Sauce Co., Ltd. (Japanese)
- https://www.town.shodoshima.lg.jp/kanko/miru/sangyo/yamasan.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
