A Refined Gate of Polished Logs
The Tozanso Main Gate (東山荘正門) is a refined main gate framed in polished logs of 1933 in Kasugacho, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 1, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber gate with a tiled roof, 1.8 metres wide, with a wicket to the south; registration number 22-0230.
A Gabled Gate of Polished Logs
The main gate of Tozanso, built in 1933, opens onto the road at the north end of the west side of the site (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a gabled gate 3.6 metres wide overall, with a roof of straight-edged tiles bordered in copper.
Sliding board doors fill the central opening, the northern half-bay is a clay wall and a wicket opens to the south, with clay walls on both sides. The frame is of polished logs, and the Agency describes it as a neat, refined main gate.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the polished-log frame and the gabled roof of straight-edged tiles bordered in copper (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the Church of World Messianity (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to Toho no Hikari, an organisation affiliated with the church, a local preservation society holds open days and plans regular openings; check their announcements for dates. The seven buildings are introduced together on the Tozanso page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1933 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the roof like?
- Gabled, tiled and bordered in copper.
- How does it open?
- Sliding doors and a wicket to the south.
- What is it like?
- Neat and refined.
- When was the Tozanso Main Gate registered?
- On August 1, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tozanso Main Gate (東山荘正門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1712-16 Kasugacho, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/08/01 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, 1.8 m wide, wicket to the south |
| Owner | Church of World Messianity |
| Public Access | Opened on preservation society open days (Toho no Hikari) |
References
- Tozanso Main Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011145
- Moon-viewing at Tozanso, Atami, marking its first public opening (Toho no Hikari, in Japanese)
- https://tohonohikari.or.jp/topics/%E7%86%B1%E6%B5%B7-%E6%9D%B1%E5%B1%B1%E8%8D%98%E3%81%A7%E3%80%8C%E8%A6%B3%E6%9C%88%E4%BC%9A%E3%80%8D.php
Last verified: 2026.10.26
