The Long Gatehouse on the East Side
The Oka Family Residence Gatehouse (岡家住宅門屋) is a nagaya-mon gatehouse of 1871 in Nyugo, Kudoyama Town, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on September 10, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 69 square metres, renovated in 1995; registration number 30-0266.
A Gateway Flanked by Rooms
The Oka Family Residence Gatehouse is a nagaya-mon, a long gate building with rooms on either side of the passage, standing on the east side of the site toward the south. It was built in 1871, at the same time as the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Wakayama Prefecture), and runs at right angles to it to form the front of the homestead.
It is a single-storey building with a pantiled roof running north to south, finished as a hip-and-gable at the south end. The gateway opens through the middle 2 bays, framed in heavy timbers. North of the passage is a barn; to the south are a room for male servants and a cattle stall, so farm work and staff quarters share one roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that, set at right angles to the main house, it forms an imposing front to the homestead, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the yoriki-mado, barred windows set into the plastered walls, and the clapboarding held by notched battens (sasarako-shitamiita) along the base (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The heavy-framed gateway itself announces the standing of the house.
Visiting
The Oka Family Residence Gatehouse is the entrance to a private home; do not pass through it uninvited. No official information on visits could be found.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Oka Family Residence Gatehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Oka Family Residence Gatehouse built?
- In 1871, together with the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Wakayama Prefecture). It was renovated in 1995.
- What is inside the Oka Family Residence Gatehouse?
- A barn to the north of the gateway, and a servants' room and a cattle stall to the south (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What do the walls of the Oka Family Residence Gatehouse look like?
- Plastered, with barred yoriki-mado windows and clapboarding along the base (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I walk through the Oka Family Residence Gatehouse?
- It is the entrance to a private home, and no official information on visits was found.
- When was the Oka Family Residence Gatehouse registered?
- On September 10, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Oka Family Residence Gatehouse (岡家住宅門屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 288-1 Nyugo, Kudoyama Town, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/09/10 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 69 m² |
| Owner | Private (per Wakayama Prefecture) |
| Public Access | Private home (no public opening information) |
References
- Oka Family Residence Gatehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012979
- Oka Family Residence (Wakayama Prefecture cultural properties portal, Japanese)
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai_879/
Last verified: 2026.10.15
