What the Terada Family Residence East Gate is
The Terada Family Residence East Gate (寺田家住宅東門, Terada-ke Jutaku Higashimon) is a late Edo period gate in Imamachi, Kashiwara City, Osaka Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 12 July 2005. It is timber built with a tiled roof and measures 1.8 metres across.
It stands at the middle of the eastern boundary of the long, narrow plot. Small as it is, it follows the Yakuimon form, with carved brackets set on the main posts to carry the head beam and the tie. The roof is gabled in Hongawarabuki with a single tier of widely spaced rafters, and the head beam itself is capped by a boarded roof with raised battens.
Its position is the point. The Terada Family Residence East Gate opens opposite the formal Shikidai entrance on the east face of the annex, so a guest could reach the reception building directly from the east without passing through the main house.
Why the Terada Family Residence East Gate was registered
The criterion cited is contribution to the historic landscape. The national database says the gate shapes the appearance of the rear of the estate.
A frontage of 1.8 metres is not a cart entrance. It is a width for one or two people on foot, which makes a gate for receiving visitors the natural reading, and its alignment with the formal entrance to the annex supports that.
Its registration number is 27-0327, last of the seven. Smaller than the south gate, it nonetheless uses a formal gate type and carries carved brackets, so care was taken with it.
What to look at
Look at the brackets on the main posts. A bracket of this kind projects from the post to carry the member above, and the carving refers to the curved profile cut into its side. A gate this small offers few places to show any design, and this is where the work went.
The head beam repays attention too. It is the horizontal member spanning between the posts, and on the Terada Family Residence East Gate it is protected by a boarded roof with raised battens over the joints. The battens keep rain out of the seams in the boarding.
The gate type is worth knowing. A yakuimon carries its roof on two main posts in front and two supporting posts behind, with the ridge set forward of centre, a form used at temples and samurai residences. A merchant household choosing it here says something about the gate's role in receiving guests.
Seeing the Terada Family Residence East Gate
The Terada Family Residence East Gate is privately owned and cannot be passed through. Kashiwara City states that the estate as a whole is closed to visitors.
The gate faces the eastern boundary, on the side nearest the JR Yamatoji Line. The lane there is narrow, with almost nowhere to stand back and view it squarely. From the old highway on the west, the house and the storehouses block any sight of it.
Photograph from the public road only, and watch your footing near the railway. Directions and contact details for the estate are set out on the page for the Terada Family Residence in Kashiwara.
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Q&A
- What kind of gate is the Terada Family Residence East Gate?
- A small yakuimon 1.8 metres wide, timber built with a tiled roof, its main posts carrying carved brackets beneath the head beam.
- Why does the Terada Family Residence East Gate stand on the east side?
- Because it lines up with the formal entrance on the east face of the annex, letting guests reach the reception building without crossing the house.
- What is a yakuimon?
- A gate type with two main posts in front and two supporting posts behind, the ridge set forward of centre. This is a small example of it.
- When was the Terada Family Residence East Gate registered?
- On 12 July 2005, under registration number 27-0327, the last of the seven structures on the estate.
- Can the Terada Family Residence East Gate be seen?
- Only with difficulty. The lane on the east side is narrow, and there is nowhere to stand back for a square view. The grounds are closed.
Basic Information
| Name | Terada Family Residence East Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1-14 Imamachi, Kashiwara City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 12 July 2005 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Frontage 1.8 metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public; exterior only |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Terada Family Residence East Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004794
- Terada Family Residence (Kashiwara City)
- https://www.city.kashiwara.lg.jp/docs/2014082300123/
Last verified: 2026.09.23
