What Are the Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts?
The Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts (旧平田家住宅門柱, Kyū Hirata-ke Jūtaku Monchū) are granite gateposts erected around 1923 in Chiyoda-cho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015. Side gates and short walls are attached on either side.
They stand at the south entrance and form the public face of the estate. They are also the newest of the 7 registered structures, added about half a century after the main house, and the only one built of stone rather than timber, earth and tile.
Four Granite Columns
The Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts consist of 4 pillars: 2 tall main posts in the center and a shorter side post on each flank. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the main posts a height of 4.0 meters and the side posts 2.8 meters.
Each pillar is composed of a base, a shaft and a capital. The capital is topped by a projecting cornice, and below it runs a band of carved raimon, the squared fret or key pattern familiar from Chinese bronzes. Base, shaft, capital and cornice are the grammar of the Western classical column; here that grammar is paired with an East Asian meander.
The width of the gateway differs between sources. The structural data in the Agency's database and the Mie Prefecture summary give 4.2 meters, while the Agency's descriptive text gives 3.2 meters. The two figures may measure different spans, one between the main posts and one including the side gates, but the sources do not say.
A Taisho Statement at the Front
Yokkaichi City presents the Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts as a weighty frontage of 4-meter granite pillars, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls them an imposing gate suited to the front of an old established family.
Old rural families of the Meiji period commonly put a tiled gatehouse or a timber gate at the front. In the last years of the Taisho era the Hirata family chose stone columns in a Western idiom instead, with the main house of about 1870 still standing behind them. The pairing shows a rural family of standing giving its old home a modern face.
Seeing the Gateposts
Because the Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts stand at the entrance, they can be seen from outside the estate. Outside the opening periods the grounds are closed, so please look from the road and do not step onto the private property.
The fret pattern sits high on the capitals; stepping back a little makes it easier to read. Opening periods and directions are on the Former Hirata Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When were the Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts built?
- Around 1923. They were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015.
- How tall are the Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts?
- The 2 main posts are 4.0 meters tall and the 2 side posts 2.8 meters. All 4 are granite.
- How wide is the gateway of the Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts?
- The structural data of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Mie Prefecture summary give 4.2 meters; the Agency's descriptive text gives 3.2 meters. The sources differ.
- What decoration do the Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts have?
- A band of carved fret pattern, known as raimon, runs below the cornice at the top of each capital.
- Can I see the Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts?
- Yes, from outside the estate, since they stand at the entrance. The grounds are closed outside the opening periods, so view them from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts (旧平田家住宅門柱) |
|---|---|
| Location | 941 Chiyodacho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 24-0225 |
| Year Designated | Registered November 17, 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, gateway 4.2 meters wide (3.2 meters in the Agency's descriptive text), main posts 4.0 meters high, side posts 2.8 meters high, with side gates and walls |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from outside the estate (grounds open only during limited-period openings) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010824
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Hirata Family Residence Gateposts
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/291669
- Former Hirata Family Residence Main House and 6 others (Yokkaichi City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yokkaichi.lg.jp/www/contents/1001000002610/index.html
- Outline of new Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Mie Prefecture (Mie Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.mie.lg.jp/common/content/000371905.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.27
