What Is the Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate?
The Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate (小坂家住宅長屋門, Kosaka-ke Jūtaku Nagayamon) is a gatehouse built in the early Meiji era (1868 to 1882) on the Kosaka homestead in the Murayama district of Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 5, 2019.
It is the main entrance to the property, set at the center of the eastern boundary. The two-story timber building covers 127 m², second in size only to the main house. A Nagayamon is a gate built into a long range of rooms or storage on either side; in the Edo period such gates marked samurai residences and the homes of leading village families such as headmen.
Why It Was Registered
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a large gatehouse that lends dignity to the front of the homestead.
The miso storehouse joins its southern end and a wall runs off to the north. Facing the eastern road, the Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate carries the entire formal front of the property and is the first building any visitor confronts.
What to Look For: A Deep Lintel and a Double Beam
The gateway opens slightly south of center. Look up: a lintel beam of unusual depth spans the opening, and two further beams are stacked above it. Anyone passing through walks beneath a heavy layering of timber.
The gabled roof is laid with pantiles. The walls are Shinkabe, with posts left exposed, and the lower part is clad in sasarako shitami boards.
On the inner side of the wall that extends north from the gate, a gabled roof covers an open storage shed. From the road it reads as a wall; from the yard it is sheltered storage. The Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate is a farm gate as much as a ceremonial one.
Visiting the Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate
The Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate is the front gate of a private home. You cannot pass through it into the grounds, and the interior is closed. It stands at the center of the east side and can be seen from the road there; the lintel and double beam are visible when you face the gateway. Please do not linger or park in front of the gate.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate
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Q&A
- When was the Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Meiji era (1868 to 1882).
- Can the Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate be seen from outside?
- Yes. It stands at the center of the east side and faces the road; visitors cannot pass through into the grounds.
- What is notable about the gateway of the Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate?
- It opens slightly south of center, with a very deep lintel and a double beam stacked above it.
- How large is the Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate?
- It is a two-story timber building of 127 m², the second largest of the eight registered structures.
- When was the Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate registered?
- It was registered on December 5, 2019, under registration number 20-0547.
Basic Information
| Name | Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 282 Ichinoguchi, Oaza Murayama, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2019 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Two-story wooden structure, building area 127 m² |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior viewable from outside the property) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Kosaka Family Residence Nagayamon Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013102
- Nagano City: List of Nationally Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.nagano.nagano.jp/n151100/contents/p002914.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
