What the Kodama Family Residence East Gate Is
The Kodama Family Residence East Gate is a timber gate of about 1910 in the Wa district of Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2000 under the number 20-0084.
It is a ridge gate of a single bay leading into the back garden enclosed by the main house and the silkworm rearing house, roofed with pantiles on a gable running north to south. The opening is 2.4 metres wide and a wing wall of 9.8 metres runs from it.
Its south side is attached to the west end of the row house's north gable, its north side to a roofed earthen wall. The gate is not a free-standing object but the mouth of a passage held between building and wall.
Why It Was Registered
The listing criterion is contribution to the historic landscape. The gate controls movement at the back of the compound and continues the eastern perimeter formed by the row house, the stable and the earthen walls.
The national register points out that the gate stands back from the line of the earthen wall that descends south from the east face of the row house and the southeast corner of the stable. Rather than running the perimeter straight, the builders pulled the gate in and left a small pocket in front of it. It is a lesser structure than the front gate, and reading the compound is impossible without it.
What to Look For
Look at the space the setback creates. Because the gate sits a step behind the wall line, anyone standing in front of it has the walls closing in from both sides. A service entrance was still designed to slow people down.
Check the width as well. One bay is enough for people and loads, against the three bays of the front gate; the back route was given exactly what it needed and no more.
The junction on the south side repays attention, where the gate roof runs close against the gable of the row house and the tile courses change direction at the meeting.
Visiting the Kodama Family Residence East Gate
The east gate is inside the compound and cannot be seen from the public road. It is viewed on the guided walk offered on café opening days, standing where it joins the north end of the row house.
The best position is from the back garden looking out, with the row house visible through the opening. Ask before photographing.
Directions and viewing conditions for the compound are on the Kodama Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nagano
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kodama Family Residence East Gate
- [ Matsumoto Castle & Kamikochi Hiking Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Kodama Family Residence East Gate built?
- The national register dates it to about 1910, the late phase of construction that also produced the silkworm rearing house and the north wall.
- What type of gate is the Kodama Family Residence East Gate?
- A single-bay ridge gate under a pantiled gable roof, 2.4 metres wide, with a wing wall of 9.8 metres.
- Where does the Kodama Family Residence East Gate lead?
- Into the back garden enclosed by the main house and the silkworm rearing house, with the row house attached on its south side.
- Can visitors see the east gate?
- It stands inside the compound, so it is seen on the guided walk offered on café opening days.
- How does the east gate differ from the front gate?
- The front gate is a 7.5-metre four-legged gate on the formal approach; the east gate is a 2.4-metre ridge gate serving the back garden.
Basic Information
| Name | Kodama Family Residence East Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 7785 Oaza Wa, Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2000 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tile roof, 2.4 metres wide, with a wing wall of 9.8 metres |
| Owner | Yamatama Limited Company |
| Public Access | Inside a private compound; seen on guided viewing |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Kodama Family Residence East Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001821
- Tomi City: Kodama Family Residence
- https://www.city.tomi.nagano.jp/category/kenzobutsu/160195.html
Last verified: 2026.09.17
