About the Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall
The Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall (新井家住宅中門及び塀, Arai-ke Jūtaku Chūmon oyobi Hei) is a mid-Meiji garden gate and fence, built between 1883 and 1897, in Irumacho, Chofu City, Tokyo, and it was entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on April 25, 2014.
Gate and wall run west from the front of the main house, dividing the front yard before the house from the main garden that the formal rooms look onto. It is the only one of the five registered structures at the Arai Family Residence that is not a building, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the gate and the wall together as a single item.
A Line Between Yard and Garden
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency's note says the Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall separates the front yard from the main garden and gives the gardens inside the compound a firmer shape.
The front yard is the working face of the farmstead, enclosed by the main house, the outer storehouse and the silkworm rearing house; the main garden is the view from the formal rooms. A single line of low gate and board fence keeps the two apart without walling either off. Instead of an earthen wall or a gatehouse, a 1.5 m gate and 8.5 m of fence do the job, which is what makes this a light internal divider rather than a boundary.
How the Gate and Wall Are Built
The middle gate is an Udekimon, a gate whose roof is carried on brackets projecting from the posts, 1.5 m wide. Its two main posts are braced by Hikaebashira support posts on the garden side. A pair of board doors hangs between the posts and opens inward, toward the main garden. The roof is a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof covered in sheet metal.
The wall is timber, made of vertical boards with narrow battens nailed over the joints, and topped by a small sheet-metal roof. It runs 8.5 m in total.
Notice where the support posts are. Because they stand on the garden side, the face of the gate seen from the front yard stays clean and uncluttered.
Seeing the Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall
The Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall divides space inside a private compound ringed by trees. Whether it can be seen from the street could not be confirmed, and no opening or photography guidance has been announced (checked October 2026). The Agency's database gives the address as 1-4-3 Irumacho, while Chofu City's list gives 1-4. Directions and contact details are on the Arai Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall built, and when was it registered?
- It dates from the mid-Meiji period (1883 to 1897) and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014.
- Where is the Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall?
- It runs west from the front of the main house, separating the front yard from the main garden. The Agency's database gives the address as 1-4-3 Irumacho, Chofu City, Tokyo.
- What kind of gate is the Arai Family Residence Middle Gate?
- An udekimon, a bracketed gate 1.5 m wide, braced by support posts on the garden side. Its board doors open inward toward the main garden, under a gabled sheet-metal roof.
- How long is the wall at the Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall?
- The timber wall runs 8.5 m in total. It is made of vertical boards with battens over the joints and has a small sheet-metal roof.
- Can I visit the Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall?
- No opening has been announced (checked October 2026). It stands inside the private compound, and its visibility from the street is unconfirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall (新井家住宅中門及び塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-4-3 Irumacho, Chofu City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2014 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 item (gate and wall registered together) |
| Dimensions | Gate 1.5 m wide, wall 8.5 m in total length |
| Owner | The Arai family (blank in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open (no visiting arrangements announced) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009927
- Cultural Heritage Online: Arai Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/207964
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Arai Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009923
- Chofu City: List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties, PDF as of April 1, 2026 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.chofu.lg.jp/documents/2369/bunnkazai08.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.01
