Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Shiga

Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall

Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall: A 1907 Frontage

The Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall, of about 1907, pair a 3.8-meter yakui-mon gate with a 19-meter plastered wall with boat planks at its base.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Shiga

The Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall

The Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall (小泉家住宅表門及び表塀, Koizumi-ke Jūtaku Omotemon oyobi Omote-bei) is the gate and wall of about 1907 at the northeast corner of the Koizumi estate in Gokasho Yamamoto-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture; renovated in 1938, they were registered together as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2015.

The gate is a one-bay yakui-mon, 3.8 meters wide, with a gabled pantile roof, and it faces north. The timber wall, 19 meters long and roofed with tile, runs out from the gate and turns a right angle along its course.

Why the Front Gate and Wall Were Registered

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall as a well-balanced design that gives the estate a frontage worthy of it.

The date matters too. 1907 is the year the main house and several storehouses were moved onto the site, so the public face of the estate was made at the same moment as the estate itself, and in 1938 the gate was renovated along with the large and rice storehouses.

What to Look For at the Front Gate and Wall

The gate of the Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall is a yakui-mon. Secondary posts stand behind the main posts and carry a gabled roof whose ridge sits behind the main pair, so from the street the roof looks deep and the gate gains depth.

The wall shows its posts, with vertical boat planks along the base. A wicket door opens at the west end; at the east, the wall turns sharply south and runs into the barn. White plaster, dark planks and a tiled coping repeat for its whole length and tie the outside of the estate together.

Seeing the Front Gate and Wall

The Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall sits on the edge of the estate and is one of the few registered structures here whose exterior can be seen from the public road. Everything inside the gate is private and cannot be entered. Please do not linger at the gate.

Q&A

QWhen was the Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall built?: AThe Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall dates from about 1907 and was renovated in 1938.

QWhen was the Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall registered?: AThe Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 4, 2015 (registration number 25-0372).

QWhat type of gate is the front gate of the Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall?: AA one-bay yakui-mon, 3.8 meters wide, with a gabled pantile roof, facing north.

QHow long is the front wall of the Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall?: AIt runs 19 meters, with a wicket door at the west end; at the east it turns south to meet the barn.

QCan I visit the Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall?: ANo. The Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall is on private property and not open. We found no public-opening notice as of September 2026.

Basic Information

Name	Koizumi Family Residence Front Gate and Front Wall
Location	270 Aza Minamikoji, Gokasho Yamamoto-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure)
Year Designated	Registered August 4, 2015
Quantity	1 structure
Dimensions	Front gate: timber, tiled roof, width 3.8 meters; Front wall: timber, tiled roof, length 19 meters
Owner	Koizumi Shoten Co., Ltd.
Public Access	Grounds not open (exterior visible from the public road)