What Is the Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall?
The Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall (横山家住宅門及び塀, Yokoyama-ke Jūtaku Mon oyobi Hei) is a wooden gate and wall of the early Meiji period (1868 to 1882) in front of the retirement building of the Yokoyama Family Residence in Johokucho, Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2013.
The Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall consists of a gate opening at the center of the retirement building's front and the wall running out on either side. The gate is an Udekimon bracket-arm gate 1.3 m wide with a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof in Sangawara-buki pantiles. The wall is 7.3 m long in total and is also capped with tiles. Its address, Johokucho 1-87, adjoins the lot of the other four registered structures.
Why the Gate and Wall Were Registered
The Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with enclosing the forecourt of the retirement building and lending the street the air of a castle town.
The main house presents its front directly to the street, but the retirement building sits back from it, and the gate and wall carry the street line across that gap. Takatsuki City's award citation describes the bracket-arm gate at the center and the softly colored wall as varying the townscape while keeping it in harmony.
What to Look For
In a bracket-arm gate, short arms project from the posts to carry the eave beams, and the roof sits on top of them. The Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall applies the same idea to the wall: arms carry a beam, a board eave rests on it, and pantiles are laid above. Because gate and wall share this method, a single low roofline runs across the front of the retirement building when seen from the street.
The wall is Shinkabe, with its posts left visible, and its lower part is faced with vertical boards, so plaster above and timber below divide it into two bands running out from the 1.3 m gate. At only 7.3 m long, the wall still encloses a forecourt and draws the retirement building one step back from the street.
Visiting the Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall
The Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall is part of a private home, and the forecourt inside the gate is off limits. Since the gate and wall face the street to the south, the exterior can be seen directly from the road.
The way the arms and board eave fit together is easiest to read by looking up under the wall's eave at an angle. The gate is the family's entrance, so please do not stand in front of it, and keep photography from the street brief. The layout of the whole estate and directions are on the Yokoyama Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When were the Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall built?
- In the early Meiji period (1868 to 1882). They were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 24, 2013.
- What type of gate is the Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall?
- A bracket-arm gate (udekimon) 1.3 m wide, with a gabled roof of pantiles, opening at the center of the retirement building's front.
- How long is the Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall, and how is the wall built?
- The wall is 7.3 m long in total. Arms carry a beam and a board eave topped with pantiles; the wall itself shows its posts and has vertical boarding at the base.
- What does the Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall enclose?
- The forecourt of the retirement building, which stands back from the street.
- Can I see the Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall?
- Yes, from the street, since both face the road. The area inside the gate is a private home and cannot be entered.
Basic Information
| Name | Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-87 Johokucho, Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, etc. |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered December 24, 2013 |
| Quantity | 1 structure (gate and wall) |
| Dimensions | Gate 1.3 m wide; wall 7.3 m total length |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Inside the gate not open (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Yokoyama Family Residence Gate and Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009803
- Takatsuki City: List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.takatsuki.osaka.jp/site/history/4535.html
- Takatsuki City: 1st Townscape Award Winner, Yokoyama Family Residence (Yokoyama Clinic) (PDF)
- https://www.city.takatsuki.osaka.jp/uploaded/attachment/10117.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.14
