What the Nagayamon Gate Is
The Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate (稲葉家住宅長屋門, Inaba-ke Jūtaku Nagayamon) in Kumihama, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a late Edo period (1830 to 1867) row-house gate (Nagayamon) opening onto the road along the south side of the Inaba estate, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003. It is a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and 34 square meters of building area.
The people who run the estate as Gōshō Inaba Honke call it the Hina-gomon (雛御門). Of the four registered buildings, the Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate is the one that passers-by actually see from the street.
A Gate That Looks Like a Town House
A nagayamon is a gateway set into a long range of rooms, the kind of entrance found at samurai compounds and the homes of rich farmers. Most are single-storey, or carry at most a low half-storey above. The Agency for Cultural Affairs draws attention to the fact that the Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate breaks that pattern with a full second floor.
The upper storey projects 1 shaku (about 30 cm) in front of the ground floor, and the gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of pantiles (Sangawara-buki) carries raised firewalls (Udatsu) at its ends. Put together, these make the gate look less like a gate than like the front house of a merchant's Machiya. The Agency's reading is that it was placed where it could be seen from the road, advertising the family's rank to anyone walking by.
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, in other words as part of the streetscape of Kumihama.
Reading the Udatsu and the Overhang
The operators give the Inaba nagayamon as a two-storey building entered on its long side (Hirairi), 9.4 meters long and 3.9 meters deep, or about 2 ken. The ridge runs parallel to the road.
The udatsu rise at both gable ends. The operators describe them as a mark of status, and say the 1-shaku projection of the upper front wall was there to give the facade some variety.
Seen square on, the overhang is easy to miss. Move to the edge of the street and look along the front at an angle: the step where the upper wall sits forward of the lower one becomes clear, and so do the two udatsu standing up against the sky.
Seeing the Nagayamon Gate
Because the Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate fronts the road, its exterior can be seen at any time, including on Wednesdays when the house is closed. The operators publish no information about access to the interior of the gate building itself.
Route 11 in front of the gate is narrow and carries traffic, so stay off the roadway when taking photographs. Opening hours and directions are on the Inaba Family Residence group page.
Q&A
- When was the Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period (1830 to 1867), which makes it older than the main house completed in 1890.
- How is the Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate different from an ordinary nagayamon?
- It has a full second storey projecting 1 shaku (about 30 cm) over the street side, and udatsu firewalls on its gabled roof, so it looks more like a merchant town house than a gate.
- Why is the Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate called the Hina-gomon?
- That is the name used by the operators of Gōshō Inaba Honke. Their published guide does not explain where the name comes from.
- Can I see the Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate on a closing day?
- Yes. It faces the road, so the exterior is visible even on Wednesdays when the house is closed. There is no published information on entering the gate building.
- How large is the Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate?
- It is a two-storey timber building of 34 square meters. The operators give its length as 9.4 meters and its depth as 3.9 meters.
Basic Information
| Name | Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate (稲葉家住宅長屋門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3102 Kumihamacho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 26-0143 |
| Year Designated | Registered January 31, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey wooden building, tiled roof, building area 34 square meters |
| Owner | Kyotango City |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the road. No published information on interior access |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Inaba Family Residence Nagayamon Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003111
- Guide to the Buildings (Gosho Inaba Honke, in Japanese)
- https://www.inabahonke.com/kannai/
- Access (Gosho Inaba Honke, in Japanese)
- https://www.inabahonke.com/access/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
