What Is the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate?
The Zaima Family Residence Side Gate (財間家住宅横門, Zaima-ke Jūtaku Yokomon) is a late Meiji-period (1898 to 1911) timber gate in Ushiroda, Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on September 10, 2010.
It opens onto the lane along the south side of the Zaima Family Residence, squeezed between the upper storehouse to the east and the pickle storehouse and firewood shed to the west. The gate is 1.8 meters wide and has a tiled roof. No later alterations are recorded.
Why the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate Was Registered
The Zaima Family Residence Side Gate was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, under registration number 32-0126. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a simple service gate that carries its share of the property's frontage on the lane. Seen from the lane, the wall of the pickle storehouse and firewood shed, the gate and the south wall of the upper storehouse form one continuous line, and the gate is the single opening in it.
How the Side Gate Differs from the Main Gate
Between the two main posts, a kehanashi sill at the bottom and a Magusa lintel at the top frame the opening, and a pair of plain board doors hangs within it. The eaves rest on a single layer of widely spaced rafters.
The roof is of the ryōsage type, sloping down to front and back, covered in pan tiles, with a ridge built up of stacked noshi tiles.
Compare it with the main gate on Honmachi-dori and the difference in rank is plain. The main gate has bracket arms projecting front and back, framed Sankarado panel doors on the street side and a ring-patterned wachigai ridge. The official description of the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate mentions no bracket arms, and it has plain board doors and a simple stacked ridge. The gate for guests and the gate for daily comings and goings are told apart by their design. The side gate is in fact 0.1 meters wider.
Seeing the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate
The Zaima Family Residence Side Gate faces the lane on the south side of the property, so its exterior can be seen from the lane. The ground inside is private and not open to the public. The lane is narrow, so please keep clear of passers-by when stopping to look or take photographs. Directions are on the page for the Zaima Family Residence.
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Q&A
- What is the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate?
- A late Meiji-period (1898 to 1911) timber service gate, 1.8 meters wide, with a pair of plain board doors.
- Where is the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate?
- On the lane along the south side of the Zaima Family Residence, between the pickle storehouse and firewood shed and the upper storehouse.
- How is the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate different from the main gate?
- The main gate has bracket arms, framed panel doors on the street side and a ring-patterned ridge. The side gate has board doors, a ryōsage roof and a stacked noshi-tile ridge.
- When was the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate registered?
- On September 10, 2010, for its contribution to the historic landscape, as registration number 32-0126.
- Can I see the Zaima Family Residence Side Gate?
- Yes, from the lane on the south side. The ground inside the gate is private and not open to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Zaima Family Residence Side Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | Ha 38 and others, Ushiroda Aza Honmachi, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Opening 1.8 m |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the lane on the south side) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Zaima Family Residence Side Gate (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008334
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Zaima Family Residence Main Gate (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008333
- Tsuwano Culture Portal (Tsuwano Board of Education): Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://tsuwano-bunka.net/cultural-property/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
