The Gate to the Front Garden
The Oka Family Residence Middle Gate (岡家住宅中門) is a gate of the early Taisho era (1912 to 1918) 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 timber gate 1.6 metres wide with a copper roof and walls on either side; registration number 30-0265.
A Small Gate to the Principal Garden
The Oka Family Residence Middle Gate closes off the principal garden in front of the western half of the main house. It stands just south of the formal shikidai entrance, facing east (Agency for Cultural Affairs), and is the newest of the five registered buildings (Wakayama Prefecture).
The Agency classes it as a one-bay udegimon, a gate whose roof rests on projecting brackets, with a copper-clad gable roof, single-layer eaves on a lath base and widely spaced rafters. Wakayama Prefecture calls it a small munamon, a different gate type, so the sources disagree on how to name its form.
The plank doors carry a lattice of square frames in two tiers, with diagonal bars set in close pairs. Walls of vertical boarding run out on both sides, and on the south wall the upper panel is left open (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency singles out its neat, disciplined design, which lends dignity to the front of the main house; of the five buildings, only the middle gate was registered as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look at the two tiers of square lattice on the doors and the light eaves with slender, widely spaced rafters. The open upper panel in the south wall lets the garden show through.
Visiting
The Oka Family Residence Middle Gate stands inside the homestead, in front of the main house, and is part of a private home. No official information on visits could be found.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Oka Family Residence Middle Gate
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Q&A
- When was the Oka Family Residence Middle Gate built?
- In the early Taisho era (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Oka Family Residence Middle Gate?
- Just south of the main house entrance, facing east, dividing off the front garden (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for at the Oka Family Residence Middle Gate?
- The plank doors with two tiers of square lattice and the boarded walls on each side (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What type of gate is the Oka Family Residence Middle Gate?
- The Agency calls it a one-bay udegimon (bracketed gate); Wakayama Prefecture calls it a small munamon.
- When was the Oka Family Residence Middle Gate registered?
- On September 10, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Oka Family Residence Middle Gate (岡家住宅中門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 288-1 Nyugo, Kudoyama Town, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/09/10 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, copper roof, 1.6 m wide, with walls on both sides |
| Owner | Private (per Wakayama Prefecture) |
| Public Access | Private home (no public opening information) |
References
- Oka Family Residence Middle Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012978
- Oka Family Residence (Wakayama Prefecture cultural properties portal, Japanese)
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai_879/
Last verified: 2026.10.15
