About the Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate
The Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate (村野家住宅中雀門, Murano-ke Jūtaku Chūjakumon) is an inner garden gate of the late Taisho era (1919 to 1926) in Yanagikubo 4-chome, Higashikurume City, Tokyo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on January 26, 2011. It is a single-bay Udekimon, a gate whose small roof is carried on brackets, with a gabled roof of copper sheet and an opening 1.5 meters wide.
The Chujakumon stands halfway along a board fence that runs between the main house and the new storehouse. That fence divides the front garden from the inner garden, and the gate is a passage between them. Where the yakuimon faces the outside world, the Chujakumon divides the estate within.
A Light Gate on Brackets
In an udekimon, short brackets called udeki are fitted into the tops of the posts to carry the overhang of the roof. It is a simpler form than a yakuimon, which needs rear posts. The Murano Chujakumon hangs a pair of plank doors in its 1.5-meter opening.
Above the lintel is a lattice transom, and the eaves use a single tier of widely spaced rafters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the design as slender and refined.
Zelkova, Clapboard and Plaster
Slender as it is, the Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate is built entirely of Keyaki (Japanese zelkova). Using a hard timber for thin members gives the gate a light look without sacrificing strength.
The fence on either side has horizontal clapboard on its lower half and white lime plaster above. The change from wood to white wall, like the lattice over the doors, draws the garden boundary in a quiet, even tone.
Comparing the Two Gates
The Murano Family Residence has two registered gates. The yakuimon of 1881 is 2.6 meters wide with two tiers of rafters, a weighty front gate. The Chujakumon of the late Taisho era is 1.5 meters wide with a single tier, a modest gate suited to the entrance of an inner garden.
Both are of zelkova and both have copper gabled roofs, but the difference in size, eaves and framing marks the difference in rank between a gate that faces outward and one that divides the house within. Seen together, they spell out the progression from the public front of the estate to its private interior.
Seeing the Murano Chujakumon
The Chujakumon stands inside the estate and cannot be seen from the road. It can be viewed from outside only on the spring and autumn special guided tours (checked September 2026). From the front garden, look at the board fence stretching between the main house and the new storehouse and at the lattice over the gate. There is no official guidance on photography. Tour and access details are on the Murano Family Residence page.
Q&A
- How is Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate pronounced in Japanese?
- Chūjakumon, written 中雀門, following the reading given in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database. The full name is Murano-ke Jūtaku Chūjakumon.
- When was the Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate built?
- It dates from the late Taisho era (1919 to 1926).
- Where is the Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate?
- It stands in the middle of a board fence between the main house and the new storehouse, dividing the front garden from the inner garden.
- How does the Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate differ from the yakuimon?
- The yakuimon of 1881 is the front gate, 2.6 meters wide with two tiers of rafters. The Chujakumon is a late Taisho inner gate on brackets, 1.5 meters wide with a single tier.
- Can the Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate be seen from the road?
- No. It is inside the estate and can be seen from outside only on the spring and autumn special tours (checked September 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-283 Yanagikubo, Higashikurume City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2011 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Opening 1.5 m wide (timber, copper-sheet roof, with fences) |
| Owner | Kaneshichi Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Normally closed (exterior viewing on spring and autumn special tours) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008425
- Cultural Heritage Online: Murano Family Residence Chujakumon Gate
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/171101
- Higashikurume City: Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) (Japanese)
- https://www.city.higashikurume.lg.jp/shisei/profile/bunkazai/1002392.html
- Tamaroku Navi (Tama-hokubu Toshi Kōiki Gyōsei-ken Kyōgikai): Murano Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.tama6.jp/meguri/place/post_40.html
- Murano Family Residence (Kosoen) official website: Autumn 2026 special tour dates (Japanese)
- https://www.kosoen.tokyo/2026/09/2025.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
