What is the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate?
The Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate (河野家住宅裏門, Kawano-ke Jūtaku Uramon) is a late Edo-period gatehouse in the middle of the east side of the Kawano family's compound in Uchida-cho, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture, and it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Registered Tangible Cultural Property) on March 6, 2024. It is a single-story timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 32 square meters. In the official record the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate alone stands on lot 236-1, while the other five buildings are on lot 236.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period (1830 to 1868), with renovation in the late Meiji period. As a gate on the street that completes the old family's compound, it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country.
Hipped at one end, gabled at the other
The Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate has its ridge running north to south. Its roof, laid with round and flat tiles (Hongawarabuki), is hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) at the north end and plain gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) at the south end, so the more formal roof form faces north over the entrance.
The gateway is at the north gable end, under a pent roof (Geya) of interlocking pan tiles (Sangawara-buki). It is closed by a pair of hinged board doors, with a small wicket door (Kugurido) to the west, so people could come and go while the big doors stayed shut.
A gate with a privy and a cattle stall
South of the gateway, the east half of the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate holds a privy and a stall for cattle, and the west half is a passage leading from the gate to the main house. The stall housed the oxen used to work the fields, brought right inside the gate building.
The front gate receives guests, with its servants' room and furnished reception room. The rear gate belonged to the working side of the farm: the way in and out for the cattle and for the daily round between the fields and the main house. Izumi City describes it as a gate with its entrance under the pent roof at the north gable, completing the compound's frontage on the street.
Visiting the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate
The Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate faces the street in the middle of the east side, and its exterior can be seen from the road. The entrance to Kawanotei today is the front gate, and its information does not say if visitors can use the rear gate.
It is unconfirmed if the privy and stall inside are open to visitors. The mix of roof forms is easiest to see from the street by comparing the north and south ends of the gate.
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Q&A
- What is inside the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate?
- South of the gateway, the east half holds a privy and a cattle stall, and the west half is a passage leading to the main house.
- When was the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate built and registered?
- It dates from the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) and was renovated in the late Meiji period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024.
- What is distinctive about the roof of the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate?
- The tiled roof is hip-and-gable at the north end and gabled at the south end, with a pent roof at the north gable forming the gateway.
- What kind of doors does the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate have?
- A pair of hinged board doors closes the gateway, with a small wicket door to the west for everyday use.
- Can I visit the Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate?
- You can see the exterior from the street. The entrance to Kawanotei is the front gate, and it is unconfirmed if the rear gate can be used or entered.
Basic Information
| Name | Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 236-1 Uchida-cho 3-chome, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 6, 2024 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single story, tiled roof, building area 32 m² |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street; interior access and passage unconfirmed |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014878
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kawano Family Residence Rear Gate (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/553918
- Izumi City: Kawano Family Residence to Become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (November 24, 2023, Japanese)
- https://www.city.osaka-izumi.lg.jp/kakukano/syougaibu/bunkaisan/bunkazai_event/19452.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
