Yoshimura Family Residence East Gate and East Wall

A Bracket-Arm Gate at the East End of the Frontage

Yoshimura Family Residence East Gate and East Wall (吉村家住宅東門及び東塀, Yoshimura-ke Jūtaku Higashimon oyobi Higashibei) is a mid-Meiji wooden gate and wall, dating from 1883 to 1897, marking the eastern end of the street front of the Yoshimura Family Residence in Kawashiri 4-chome, Minami-ku, Kumamoto City. It was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on August 6, 2025. The gate is 1.4 meters wide with wing walls, and the east wall runs for 13 meters.

The Yoshimura east gate stands at the east end of the south-facing frontage, set back from the street. From it, the east wall runs north along the eastern boundary of the lot.

How an Udekimon Works

The east gate is an Udekimon. Bracket arms pass through the tops of the gateposts and project front and back, and the roof rests on their ends, so the eaves can reach well beyond the posts. It was a common type for the front gates of samurai houses and townhouses, and its appeal lies in that light, deep overhang.

The roof is gabled and pantiled, set Hirairi-style with its long side to the street. In the opening are sliding lattice doors and a single hinged board door.

The west gate farther along the same frontage is 1.7 meters wide, with double board doors and a copper eaves edge. The east gate is the smaller of the two, at 1.4 meters and with a single leaf, so the Yoshimura house presents a larger and a smaller gate side by side.

A Plain Board Fence

The east wall is a board fence under a pantiled coping, faced with vertical boards on both sides. Compared with the plastered south wall, whose base changes finish from one face to the other, the east wall of the Yoshimura Family Residence East Gate and East Wall is simply timber throughout.

The listing holds registration number 43-0212 and was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values the gate and wall for the neat, stylish front they give a merchant's house.

Seeing the Yoshimura East Gate and East Wall

The gate of the Yoshimura Family Residence East Gate and East Wall faces the street and can be seen from the public road. Step to one side to see the bracket arms passing through the posts and projecting front and back.

The east wall runs north from the gate, and the Agency's photograph shows its west face, from inside the compound. The sources consulted for this article do not say where its outer face can be seen. The house is a private home and the gate is closed to visitors, so look only from the public road.