Nagaya-mon (“Longhouse Gates”)

During the Edo period, a samurai's rank in the Kaga domain determined the type of gate he was permitted on his residence. The nagaya-mon, a gate set into a longhouse structure with servants' quarters on either side, was allowed for middle-rank samurai and above. The Takada family's nagaya-mon in Kanazawa is believed to have been built between 1861 and 1864 and is now city-owned and restored. A stable with a rammed-earth floor and servants' rooms with a built-in hearth flank the main entrance. Stone walls on either side show the nozura-zumi fieldstone style, and the restored facing features turtle-shell carved blocks reflecting Edo-period decorative customs.