About the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall
The Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall (笹野家住宅表門及び塀, Sasano-ke Jūtaku Omotemon oyobi Hei) is a wooden gate and wall built in the early Shōwa period (1926 to 1945) in the Shinmachi district of Sono, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2018.
The gate is a Munamon set slightly back from the street, with a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of Sangawara-buki pantiles and an opening 2 m wide. On either side runs a tall Shinkabe wall with exposed posts and its own tiled coping, 14 m long in all. The Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education says the gate and wall were built new, together with the main house and storehouse, when the estate was laid out at the end of the Taishō era.
Why the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall was registered
The Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes how the gate and wall lend the estate a dignified street front, and the prefectural board counts them among the carefully detailed, high-quality structures facing the road.
A munamon carries its roof on two main posts alone, with no supporting posts behind. It is a light, compact type of gate, and every joint of post and roof is left in plain sight. Setting it back from the road and flanking it with high walls leaves a small breathing space between street and house.
What to look for at the Sasano gate and wall
On the gate, look above the opening. A small extra eave sits on top of the Magusa, the beam across the head of the opening, tucked beneath the main gate roof, so the doorway has a second band of shade.
The gate has two layers of doors. Sliding lattice doors face the street, and behind them hang a pair of plank doors that open inward. With only the lattice closed, light and air still pass while the gate is shut; with the plank doors closed as well, it is sealed. The arrangement appears designed to allow both.
The wall is built in the shinkabe manner, with the posts showing on the face of the wall. The detail the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is the corner post. Where the wall of the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall turns at an angle that is not square, the post is made diamond-shaped, which reads as a way of meeting both wall faces cleanly at an oblique corner.
Visiting the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall
Because the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall faces the street, you can see the exterior from the road. Beyond the gate is a private home, so please do not go in.
The space in front of the gate, set back from the road, may also belong to the property, so stay on the street when you stop to look, and limit photographs to the exterior from the road. Directions are on the Sasano Family Residence (Gobo) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Wakayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall
- [ Koyasan & Kumano Kodo World Heritage Trails ]
Q&A
- When was the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall built?
- It dates to the early Shōwa period (1926 to 1945). It was built new with the main house when the estate was laid out, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 10, 2018.
- What kind of gate is the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall?
- It is a munamon set slightly back from the street, with a pantiled gable roof, an opening 2 m wide and a small eave above the head beam.
- What doors does the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall have?
- Sliding lattice doors on the street side, with a pair of inward-opening plank doors behind them.
- What is special about the wall of the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall?
- It is a tall wall with exposed posts running to either side of the gate, 14 m long in all. At the oblique corner the post is diamond-shaped, a detail the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes as elaborate.
- Can I visit the Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall?
- You can see the gate and wall from the street, but the grounds beyond the gate are a private home and closed to visitors.
Basic Information
| Name | Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall (笹野家住宅表門及び塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 731 Shinmachi, Sono, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture, and other locations |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018-05-10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Gate: opening 2 m; wall: total length 14 m |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Interior closed (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012446
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sasano Family Residence Front Gate and Wall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/615510
- Wakayama Cultural Heritage portal (Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education): Sasano Family Residence
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-spot-995/
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Sasano Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012445
Last verified: 2026.10.06
