The Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate
The Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate (小泉家住宅下便所及び中門, Koizumi-ke Jūtaku Shimo-benjo oyobi Chūmon) is a privy building and gate of about 1915 east of the main house on the Koizumi estate in Gokasho Yamamoto-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture; altered in the early Showa period, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2015.
The privy is a single-storey timber structure of one and a half bays by one, 5.8 square meters, with a board fence. The middle gate is a one-bay udegi-mon, 2.0 meters wide, flanked by short wing walls. Both have east-west gabled roofs of pantiles.
Why the Privy and Middle Gate Were Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate for the part it plays in the layout of the estate. Standing east of the main house and a little south of its midpoint, the pair divides the front garden inside the main gate from the inner courtyard.
They are small structures, but they mark the line between the outward-facing part of the house and the private interior, where guests stopped and the household's own space began.
What to Look For at the Privy and Middle Gate
The Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate is about materials. The Agency describes carefully chosen timber worked in a refined sukiya manner, the light style associated with tea houses, applied here even to a privy and a garden gate.
The middle gate is an udegi-mon, whose roof rests on arms projecting sideways from the posts. It is a modest type, in contrast to the more formal yakui-mon at the main entrance, so the change of gate marks the change from front to back.
Seeing the Privy and Middle Gate
The Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate stands inside the main gate, between the front garden and the courtyard, and cannot readily be seen from the road. The grounds cannot be entered. Visiting notes are on the Koizumi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate built?
- The Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate dates from about 1915 and was altered in the early Showa period.
- When was the Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate registered?
- The Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 4, 2015 (registration number 25-0371).
- What kind of gate is the middle gate of the Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate?
- A one-bay udegi-mon (bracket-arm gate) about 2.0 meters wide, with short wing walls on both sides and a gabled tiled roof.
- How large is the privy of the Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate?
- It is a single-storey structure of one and a half bays by one, with a building area of 5.8 square meters and a board fence.
- Can I visit the Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate?
- No. The Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate is on private property and not open. We found no public-opening notice as of September 2026.
Basic Information
| Name | Koizumi Family Residence Lower Privy and Middle Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 270 Gokasho Yamamoto-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 4, 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Privy: single-storey timber, tiled roof, building area 5.8 square meters, with board fence; Middle gate: timber, tiled roof, width 2.0 meters, with wing walls |
| Owner | Koizumi Shoten Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private property; no entry to the grounds) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: 小泉家住宅下便所及び中門 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010637
Last verified: 2026.09.27
