The Gate Beside the Main House
The Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate (旧細川家住宅門, Kyū Hosokawa-ke Jūtaku Mon) at 136 Shinmachi, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture, is an early Meiji-period gateway that was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on January 8, 2009. It stands against the east side of the main house, which faces the Hase Kaidō, and it is the way from the old highway into the depth of the property.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate is a timber wall 3.2 meters long with a doorway 1.3 meters wide set in its center. A lattice door fills the opening, and the wall carries a gabled roof of interlocking pan tiles. The agency counts it as one structure rather than one building.
Face the front of the main house from the street and the gate is on your left, at the east end. On Nabari City's site plan, a path runs from the gate along the side of the main house toward the courtyard and the storehouses at the back.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate was registered as a model of design, under number 24-0077. Only two of the four registered structures on the property were chosen on these grounds, the main house and this gate. The gate is a small structure, yet its design was judged worth recording in its own right.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it finely made and says it conveys the standing of an established family. The wall is only 3.2 meters long, but the layering of the roofs and the carving on the supports show more care than a side entrance strictly needed.
Two Roofs and Carved Brackets
Start with the roofline of the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate. A tiled gable roof runs the length of the wall, and just over the doorway a small board-roofed canopy projects beneath it, so the roofs appear in two tiers. The change from clay tile above to timber boards below makes the doubling easy to spot.
Then look under the canopy. Its beam rests on brackets, known as mochiokuri, that jut from the wall, and the brackets are carved with scrolling patterns called eyō. A canopy whose only job is to keep rain off a doorway did not need carved supports, which is why these brackets say so much about the workmanship.
The lattice door is worth a glance too. The ground floor of the main house is also fronted with lattices, so along the Hase Kaidō the gate and the house read as one continuous latticed front.
Visiting the Gate
While the whole property is closed for renovation, which began on April 1, 2026, you cannot pass through the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate. Because it stands beside the main house on the Hase Kaidō, though, it is fully visible from the road.
The canopy and brackets sit just above the doorway, so you will be looking slightly upward. To make out the carving, stand at the edge of the road almost directly in front of the opening. Take photos from the public road and keep out of the way of traffic.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- Where is the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate?
- At 136 Shinmachi, Nabari City, Mie, against the east side of the main house that faces the Hase Kaidō. Facing the main house from the street, it is on your left.
- Can I see the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate while the property is closed?
- Yes, from outside. The property has been closed for renovation since April 1, 2026, so you cannot go through the gate, but it can be seen from the Hase Kaidō.
- What is special about the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate?
- A tiled wall roof and a board-roofed canopy overlap in two tiers, and the canopy beam rests on carved brackets. The doorway is fitted with a lattice door.
- When was the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate registered?
- On January 8, 2009, together with the main house and two storehouses. Its number is 24-0077 and it was registered as a model of design.
- How large is the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate?
- The wall is 3.2 meters long with a 1.3-meter doorway in the middle. It is built of timber with a gabled tile roof.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 136 Shinmachi, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered January 8, 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof; width 3.2 m (doorway 1.3 m) |
| Owner | Nabari City |
| Public Access | Closed for renovation (from 2026, up to 1 year); exterior visible from the Hase Kaido |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hosokawa Family Residence Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007508
- Former Hosokawa Residence Yanase-shuku, Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Nabari City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s044/010/050/10/070/090/270/20150401085353.html
- Appendix 1: Site plan, floor plans, elevations and sections (Nabari City, Japanese PDF)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s044/010/050/10/bessi-1.haitizu.pdf
- Temporary closure of Yanase-shuku for renovation (Nabari City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s044/010/050/10/070/090/20191011144419.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
