The Front Toward the North-South Street
The Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall (旧料理旅館九重門及び塀, Kyū Ryōri Ryokan Kokonoe Mon oyobi Hei) are the gate and wall of around 1943 facing the north-south street at the former Kokonoe dining inn in Ueno Nishihinatamachi, Iga City, Mie Prefecture; they were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2018. The gate is timber with a tiled roof and an opening 3.1 meters wide, and the timber wall, also tiled, runs 14 meters in total.
The plot of the Former Ryokan Kokonoe is T-shaped: a lot on the east-west street, with a second lot behind it that opens onto a north-south street. The Kokonoe Gate and Wall close off the front of that second lot and mark its boundary with the property to the south. The gate sits in the middle of the frontage.
According to a 2018 newspaper report, the gate and wall went up around 1943, at the same time as the extension that gave the inn its large banquet hall. They were part of one scheme with the residence-style side of the Main Building that they front.
Why the Kokonoe Gate and Wall Were Registered
The Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall were entered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on May 10, 2018, as number 24-251. They were registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits them with forming, together with the Main Building, the street front of a traditional timber dining inn. On the east-west street the Main Building shows a townhouse face. On the north-south street, it is the Kokonoe Gate and Wall that greet arriving guests and announce the inn to passersby.
What to Look For at the Kokonoe Gate and Wall
The gate is a munamon, a simple gate with a gabled roof carried on its posts, and its eaves are kept deliberately low. Short side fences of split bamboo flank it. For an opening 3.1 meters wide it is a modest height, with the roof at about the eye level of someone walking past.
Along the frontage the wall is built in the shinkabe manner, with the posts left exposed. The plaster stops at the intermediate coat rather than a final finish, giving a soft earthen color, and the lower part is clad in wooden boards. The two bands run level along the street.
Only the stretch on the southern boundary changes, becoming a yamato-bei, a board fence of alternating planks. Split bamboo at the gate, plaster on the front, boards on the boundary: in just 14 meters the Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall shift material three times, and it is worth walking the full length to compare them.
Seeing the Kokonoe Gate and Wall
The Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall face the north-south street and can be seen freely from it. The ground inside the gate is private, and no public viewing is advertised (as of October 2026).
From in front of the gate you can also see, across the front garden, the residence side of the Main Building. No photography rules are posted, but please do not walk through the gate, and stand where you will not block the street.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When were the Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates them to around 1943. A local newspaper says they were built at the same time as the Main Building's extension with its large banquet hall.
- When were the Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall registered as a cultural property?
- They were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on May 10, 2018, as number 24-251.
- What kind of gate is the Kokonoe Gate and Wall's gate?
- It is a gabled, tile-roofed munamon gate with low eaves, 3.1 meters wide, flanked by side fences of split bamboo.
- What is notable about the wall of the Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall?
- The front section has exposed posts, plaster left at the intermediate coat, and boarded lower panels, while the southern boundary is a yamato-bei board fence. The total length is 14 meters.
- Can visitors see the Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall?
- Yes, from the north-south street. The grounds inside the gate are private and not open to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall (旧料理旅館九重門及び塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1773 Ueno Nishihinatamachi and others, Iga City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered May 10, 2018 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Gate: timber, tiled roof, 3.1 meters wide / Wall: timber, tiled roof, 14 meters in total length |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street; inside the gate is private property |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Former Ryokan Kokonoe Gate and Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012381
- Cultural Heritage Online: Iga City, Mie Prefecture (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/region/24/24216
- Iga Town Joho YOU: Former Ryokan Kokonoe to Become a Registered Cultural Property (March 9, 2018, Japanese)
- https://www.iga-younet.co.jp/news1/2018/03/post-460.html
Last verified: 2026.10.16
