What the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate is
The Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate (柴田家住宅露地門, Shibata-ke Jūtaku Rojimon) is a small timber Yakuimon gate in Ichinashi, Keihoku Toriicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, built around 1912 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 8, 2008.
It is a single-bay gate 1.9 meters wide, covered by a tiled gabled roof with a gentle convex curve (mukuri), and the whole of it is painted with red iron-oxide Bengara.
A short wing wall (Sodobei) runs south from the eastern post of the main house's formal entrance, and the gate stands at its end. It marks the way into the garden in front of the reception room. Roji means a garden path, the approach through a garden.
Why the Shibata roji gate was registered
The Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. With the main house, the bathhouse and the earthen wall, it completes the layout of an early Taisho-era farming household.
Its job is to separate the front entrance from the garden behind. Kyoto City notes that the south garden is entered from beside the entrance through this gate. The way round from the entrance into the garden is closed off by a wing wall and a proper gate rather than left open.
Stacked beams and a forked gable on the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate
The detail to look for on the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate is at the tops of the posts. A lower beam (mebari), a crossbeam (Kabuki) and an upper beam (obari) are stacked there, with bearing blocks (masu) set between the lower and upper beams. The end of the upper beam is shaped like a carved bracket nose (Kibana).
In the gable, two members meet in an inverted V, a framing called inoko-sasu. The eaves use a single tier of rafters set wide apart, known as hitonoki mabara-daruki.
The gate is less than 2 meters across, yet it has three layers of beams, carved ends, a curved roof and a full coat of red paint. It is a modest gate built with real care, made to welcome visitors into the garden.
Seeing the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate
The Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate belongs to a private home, and no public opening has been announced. You cannot pass through it into the garden.
The gate stands beside the main entrance, inside the line of the earthen wall, so it has not been confirmed whether it can be seen from the road. Please stay off the grounds and view the property from the road only. Directions are on the Shibata Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Can I visit the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate?
- No public opening of the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate has been announced. It belongs to a private home, so please do not enter the grounds.
- Where does the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate stand?
- At the end of a short wing wall running south from the eastern post of the main house's formal entrance. It leads into the garden in front of the reception room.
- What type of gate is the Shibata roji gate in Keihoku?
- A single-bay yakuimon gate 1.9 meters wide with a gently curved, tiled gable roof. Stacked beams sit on the posts, the gable is framed in the inoko-sasu style and the whole gate is painted red.
- When was the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate built?
- Around 1912, about the same time as the main house was framed.
- Why is the Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on July 8, 2008, as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 43 Ichinashi, Keihoku Toriicho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered July 8, 2008 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, width 1.9 m |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007233
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shibata Family Residence Roji Gate (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/153835
- Kyoto City: Buildings and Gardens of Kyoto, certification of the Shibata house (Japanese)
- https://kyoto-irodoru.city.kyoto.lg.jp/mobile/ukyo/shibatake-n.html
Last verified: 2026.10.28
