The Side Gate onto the Bizen Road
The Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate and Wall (米原家住宅下門及び塀) is a side gate with walls of about 1906 in Chizu, Chizu Town, Tottori Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 19, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber gate with a tiled roof, 2.2 metres wide, and timber walls roofed in tile, 14 metres in total length; registration number 31-0201.
A Side Gate onto the Bizen Road
The Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate and Wall is a side gate opening onto the Bizen Ōrai road, south of the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a one-bay Munamon under a gabled tile roof, set back half a bay from the street, with walls meeting it at right angles on both sides.
Each leaf of the double doors is a single plank, and the bar that locks them sits in round knob-shaped fittings. The ridge is decorated with a wave pattern (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Chizu Town dates the gate to about 1906, the same date as the main house.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape, as the gate that gives order to the Bizen Ōrai side of the compound.
What to Look For
Look at the Onigawara ridge-end tile. It is glazed and bears the Yonehara family crest, a lozenge-shaped quince flower (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The storehouse at the back of the plot still carries the crest of the previous owners, the Kokumai family, on its door fittings (Chizu Town), so the two buildings record both families.
Because the gate is set back half a bay, a small forecourt opens in front of it, framed by the walls that turn the corner to meet it (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate and Wall faces the Bizen Ōrai and can be seen from the street. No official information was found on entering the grounds, or on photography.
Q&A
- When was the Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate built?
- In about 1906, the same date as the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Chizu Town).
- What kind of gate is the Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate?
- A one-bay munamon side gate opening onto the Bizen Ōrai.
- What crest is on the Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate?
- The Yonehara family crest, a lozenge-shaped quince flower, on the glazed ridge-end tile.
- How large is the Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate and Wall?
- The gate is 2.2 metres wide and the walls are 14 metres long in total (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate and Wall registered?
- On December 19, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate and Wall (米原家住宅下門及び塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 546 Chizu, Chizu Town, Yazu District, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 (gate and walls) |
| Dimensions | Gate: timber, tiled roof, 2.2 m wide; walls: timber, tiled roof, 14 m in total |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | Exterior only (no official opening information) |
References
- Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate and Wall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010345
- Yonehara Family Residence Lower Gate and Wall (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/233898
- Chizu Town cultural property map: Yonehara Family Residence (Chizu Town, Japanese)
- https://stroly.com/maps/1610427898?lang=ja
Last verified: 2026.10.19
