Traditional Japanese Entrance Gate and Sliding Front Door, Tiburon, CA

This traditional Japanese entrance gate is made from Alaskan yellow cedar. The design of vertical, evenly spaced slats for the gate doors coordinates with the design of the Japanese style sliding front door. It also gives the gate a lighter feeling and allows for air circulation. The type of gate door is called “oyako” in Japanese and means “parent-child door”.  The door on the left is smaller than the right door and can be left closed except when large objects have to go through the gate.  The right door is a larger door; however, when the gate is closed, the doors look symmetrical. The gate “roof” is topped by traditional Japanese ceramic tiles.