Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence: Framing the Reception-Room Garden
The Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence (Tamuraya Hotaruan; 旧小山家住宅（田村屋螢庵）庭門及び塀) are a mid-Meiji timber ridge-roofed gate and a cedar-bark-roofed fence in Mino, Miyama-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2008.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists the gate as timber with a tiled roof, a frontage of 1.2 metres and screen walls, and the fence as timber with a cedar-bark roof, 13 metres long, with a wicket gate. It was registered on 18 April 2008 under number 26-0302, as contributing to the historic landscape.
Why It Was Registered
The agency says the gate and fence enclose the garden in front of the main reception room and give the estate a settled calm.
The main reception room, at the northwest of the house with its alcove and desk, is the most formal room. Enclosing the garden before it separates the view from the room from the village outside.
What to Look For
The garden gate is a one-bay munamon standing on an east-west ridge on the west side of the main house, braced by back posts. It has a gabled roof of interlocking tiles and double plank doors, and the section of fence nearest the house has a small wicket door.
From the gate's western post, the fence runs in a U shape to the storehouse. It is a half-timbered wall with exposed posts and vertical boards along the base, roofed in cedar bark. The difference between the tiled gate and the bark-roofed fence marks the gate as the formal centre.
Viewing the Gate and Fence
No official information on public access could be found. Unless the owner states otherwise, stay off the grounds and view them from outside.
Location and notes on visiting the estate as a whole are on the Former Koyama Family Residence (Tamuraya Hotaruan) page.
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Q&A
- When were the Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence built?
- In the mid-Meiji period, according to the agency. They were registered in 2008.
- What kind of gate is the Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate?
- A one-bay ridge-roofed gate on the west side of the main house, with back posts, a gabled tiled roof and double plank doors.
- What is the Former Koyama Family Residence fence like?
- A 13-metre U-shaped fence from the gate to the storehouse, with exposed posts, boarded base and a cedar-bark roof.
- Why were the Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence registered?
- Because they enclose the garden in front of the main reception room and give the estate a settled calm.
- Can I visit the Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence?
- No official access information was found. Do not enter the grounds without permission.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence (Tamuraya Hotaruan) |
|---|---|
| Location | 38 Oyamanomoto, Mino, Miyama-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/04/18 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Gate: timber, tiled roof, frontage 1.2 m, screen walls; fence: timber, cedar-bark roof, 13 m long, wicket gate |
| Owner | Nishio Asset Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official information on public access |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007080
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Koyama Family Residence Garden Gate and Fence
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/172382
Last verified: 2026.09.27
