Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Chiba

Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence

Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence and Gate

A late-Meiji garden fence on a Noda soy brewer's estate, 33 metres long, boarded outside and plastered inside, with a ridge gate carved in openwork. Not open.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Chiba

The Fence Around the Shoin Garden

The Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅書院南側板塀) in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, is a tile-capped late-Meiji board fence enclosing the garden south of the shoin reception wing on a soy sauce brewing family's estate, and it was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018. It runs 33 metres, includes a gate, and was renovated in 2010.

The fence follows the east and south sides of the garden, with a gateway in the middle of the east side. The 4.4-metre earthen walls to the north and east of the shoin are there to stop fire and thieves; the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence is there to frame and dress the garden. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it an elegant garden fence that adds colour to the space.

The Agency dates it to late Meiji, with a range of 1898 to 1912.

Two Faces

Like the earthen walls, this fence is finished differently on each side. Outside, vertical boards have narrow battens nailed over the joints. Inside, facing the garden, the fence is coated in grey nezumi lime plaster, with a dado of sasarako shitami-ita: overlapping horizontal weatherboards held by notched vertical strips, which give a finely shadowed surface.

In the upper band the boards are spaced to leave gaps, with a single horizontal rail running through. From the garden, a row of thin slits of light runs just below the top of the fence.

A Ridge Gate with Openwork

The gate in the east side is a Munamon, a simple but dignified type with a gabled roof set directly on two posts. Here its transom is filled with Sukashibori openwork carving, echoing the carved transoms between the rooms of the shoin. House, garden and gate were clearly put together with one taste in mind.

The roof is laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles. The phrase 'with gate' in the registration means the gate is listed with the fence. The registration number is 12-265, and it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.

Visiting

The fence encloses the garden of a private home and cannot be visited. Whether it can be seen from outside the property has not been confirmed. Kotohira Shrine next door opens on the 10th of every month, but the fence is not part of that visit.

Directions to the estate are on the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence page.

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Q&A

QCan I visit the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence?: ANo. It encloses the garden of a private home, and the grounds are closed.

QWhen was the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence built?: AIn the late Meiji era; the Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1898 to 1912. It was renovated in 2010.

QWhat kind of gate does the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence have?: AA ridge gate (munamon) with an openwork-carved transom, in the middle of the east side. It is registered together with the fence.

QHow is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence finished?: AVertical boards with battens outside; grey lime plaster inside with a dado of overlapping weatherboards. The upper band has spaced boards with one horizontal rail.

QWhere on the estate is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence?: AAlong the east and south sides of the garden south of the shoin, with the ridge gate in the middle of the east side.

Basic Information

Name	Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Shoin South Board Fence (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅書院南側板塀)
Location	338-1 Aza Higashinakamachi and others, Noda, Noda City, Chiba Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 12-265, criterion: contributing to the historic landscape
Year Designated	Registered 2018/3/27 (Heisei 30)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Timber, tiled roof, 33 metres long, with gate
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Not open to the public (private residence; grounds closed)