What the Terada Family Residence Main Gate is
The Terada Family Residence Main Gate (寺田家住宅本門, Terada-ke Jutaku Honmon) is a 1936 entrance gate in Shinmachi, Kaizuka City, Osaka Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 July 2011. It is a timber single-bay Yakuimon with a gabled roof in Sangawara-buki, 3.7 metres wide.
It stands at the south end of the western boundary, up a short flight of steps, facing Prefectural Route 204. Of the seven structures on the estate the Terada Family Residence Main Gate is the one the street sees best. It also closes the southern end of the long stone wall.
The roof is what catches the eye. Its steep pitch and thick eaves read as thatch, but the covering is pantile, with copper sheet used only along the eaves edge. The effect of Kayabuki thatch has been reproduced in tile.
Why the Terada Family Residence Main Gate was registered
The Terada Family Residence Main Gate was registered as a model of design, the criterion also applied to the main house and the new house. The national database calls it a gate of refined design.
The evidence lies in the members. Posts and rafters use shibori-maruta, cedar poles that keep the natural wrinkling of the bark surface, a material favoured in Sukiya-zukuri work and tea houses. A round window is cut in the flanking wall, and the panelled doors of the gateway and the wicket are pierced with kaerumata-like cusped openings. Choosing tea-house timber for a gate signals taste rather than rank.
Its registration number is 27-0547. On this estate the main house carries a Spanish entrance while the gate speaks the language of the tea room. Put the two side by side and it is clear that one client was working in both idioms at once.
What to look at
Stand in front and look up at the eaves. Only the outer edge of the steep roof is copper, and the join between tile and metal runs as a level line. The device makes the roof read as thicker than it is, and that is where the thatched look comes from.
The timber repays close attention. Every shibori-maruta pole differs, so on a small structure the character of the material becomes the design. The Terada Family Residence Main Gate uses these poles for both the frame and the rafters, and seen from below the rafters fan out with no two quite alike.
In the details, look for the round window in the flanking wall and the cusped piercings in the boarded doors. Such profiles usually belong on temple furniture. Finding them cut into the doors of a private gate shows how much work went into the one part of the estate the public can see.
Seeing the Terada Family Residence Main Gate
The Terada Family Residence Main Gate is privately owned and nobody may pass through it. The gate itself faces Prefectural Route 204, however, so its front can be studied from the pavement. It is the most rewarding of the seven structures to visit.
The far side of the road is the better position. The gate sits above a flight of steps, and standing too close loses the pitch of the roof. Read the outline from a distance first, then come closer for the poles and the round window.
Photography from the public road is fine. Please do not photograph through the gap in the doors or climb the steps. Directions and the conditions for visiting the estate as a whole are set out on the page for the Terada Family Residence in Kaizuka.
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Q&A
- What kind of gate is the Terada Family Residence Main Gate?
- A timber single-bay yakuimon of 1936, 3.7 metres wide, with a steep gabled pantile roof edged in copper sheet.
- Can the Terada Family Residence Main Gate be seen from the street?
- Yes. It faces Prefectural Route 204 and is the most easily observed of the seven structures on the estate.
- What is the shibori-maruta timber in the Terada Family Residence Main Gate?
- Cedar poles that keep the natural wrinkling of their surface. Associated with tea houses, they are used here for both frame and rafters.
- When was the Terada Family Residence Main Gate registered?
- On 25 July 2011, under number 27-0547, against the criterion that recognises a building as a model of design.
- Can I go through the Terada Family Residence Main Gate?
- No. It is the working entrance to a private home and the grounds beyond are closed. Viewing is from the pavement only.
Basic Information
| Name | Terada Family Residence Main Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 213 Shinmachi, Kaizuka City, Osaka Prefecture, and neighbouring lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 25 July 2011 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Frontage 3.7 metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public; exterior visible from the pavement |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Terada Family Residence Main Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008736
- Terada Family Residence (Kaizuka City)
- https://www.city.kaizuka.lg.jp/bunkazai/bunkazaidata/bunkazai/kuni_sitei/tourokubunkazai/teradake.html
Last verified: 2026.09.23
