What the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate Is
The Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate (旧長島家住宅木戸門, Kyū Nagashima-ke Jūtaku Kidomon) is a late Edo-period udegimon, a small gate whose eaves rest on bracket arms, at the former headman's estate in Koyatsubayashi, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024. It is set in the fence that closes off the east side of the main garden in front of the main house, and it serves as the garden's entrance.
It is 1.5 meters wide, about half the width of the estate's 2.8-meter front gate. The roof is gabled and tiled, and a pair of plank doors hangs in the opening. The national register classes it as a structure rather than a building.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, 1751 to 1830, the same early layer as the main house, the front gate and the nagayabei.
Why the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate Was Registered
The Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape. The official description notes that, small as it is, it helps shape the view of both the garden and the estate.
If the front gate divides the estate from the outside world, the Kido gate draws a second line within it, between the everyday paths of the household and the garden in front of the main house. Saitama Prefecture's announcement describes it simply as the gate at the entrance to the main garden. Giving the garden a gate of its own suggests it was treated as a space apart.
Kumagaya City protected the estate as the Nagashima Memorial Museum and Residence in 2019, and this little gate is part of how its main garden is framed.
What to Look For at the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate
What makes the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate worth a close look is the timberwork packed into its eaves. The main posts carry the ridge beam, and arms projecting forward and back from the posts support the eave beams. Here the arms are doubled, a lower beam with a second arm stacked on top.
The paired arms lift the eave beams, and above them lie rafters with a gentle upward curve. One of the registration photographs is a close view of exactly these rafters and the roof boards laid across them. Stand under the eaves and look up to see the curve of the rafters and the neat rows of boards.
The other official photograph shows the gate closed. With both leaves shut, the gate merges into the line of the fence and the garden quietly disappears from view. Open and closed, it plays two different parts.
Visiting the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate
The Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate stands on the Nagashima Memorial Museum grounds and can be seen on opening days. It makes most sense seen in place, between the garden and its fence.
Take in the gate from the front first, then step under the eaves to look up at the arms and rafters. Whether the doors are open and whether you may pass through depends on how the museum is using the garden that day, so leave the doors alone and follow the staff's directions.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- What type of gate is the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate?
- It is a 1.5-meter-wide udegimon. The main posts support the ridge, doubled bracket arms carry the eave beams, and curved rafters sit on top. The roof is gabled and tiled.
- How old is the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, 1751 to 1830.
- When was the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered on March 6, 2024, as contributing to the historic landscape.
- Where is the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate?
- In the fence along the east side of the main garden in front of the main house, where it serves as the garden entrance.
- How does the Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate differ from the front gate?
- The front gate is a 2.8-meter yakuimon on the estate's outer edge. The Kido gate is a 1.5-meter udegimon inside the estate, at the entrance to the main garden.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 1022 Ozakai, Koyatsubayashi, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 6, 2024 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Frontage 1.5 meters |
| Owner | Nagashima Memorial Foundation |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable on the Nagashima Memorial Museum grounds (admission charged) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Former Nagashima Family Residence Kido Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014743
- Kumagaya City: Eight structures of the Former Nagashima Family Residence registered (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kumagaya.lg.jp/about/soshiki/kyoiku/kounanbunkazaicenter/oshirase/ta22160120240.html
- Saitama Prefecture: New Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Kumagaya City (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/f2216/news/page/news2023112402.html
- Nagashima Memorial Museum: Hours, admission and access (Japanese)
- https://nagashimakinenkan.com/guide.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
