Fifty-Five Metres of Bōshū Stone on the Old Main Street
The Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall (鈴木家住宅石垣, Suzuki-ke Jūtaku Ishigaki) is a stone boundary wall built in the early Taishō era in Kanaya, Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) in 2010. It runs for 55 metres along the old main street on the south front of the property: 30 metres east of the gate and 25 metres west of it.
Records note repairs around 1923 and in 1953. The first date falls in the year of the Great Kantō Earthquake; the second is the year the Main House was built.
Why It Was Registered
The Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall was registered under the criterion of being difficult to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits the long wall with giving the street a distinctive character.
It is built of cut blocks of Bōshū stone, each 0.3 metres high and 0.8 metres long, laid 6 to 7 courses high to reach 1.8 metres. The horizontal joints run straight and unbroken, a coursed masonry comparable to the Nunozumi pattern of castle walls (Ishigaki). Having that many uniformly cut blocks on hand is exactly what you would expect of a family in the stone trade.
What to Look For
The Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall is not the same thickness all along. Beside the gate it is 1.7 metres thick, almost as thick as it is high, and it thins toward each end. The mass is concentrated where visitors arrive and lightens as the wall runs off down the street.
Walk the old main street and follow the joint lines: they run level and unbroken for 55 metres, framing the front of the property like a single wall of stone. Up close, differences in color and weathering pick out each individual block.
Visiting
Because the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall faces the old main street, anyone can see it from the road, free of charge. The property behind it is part of the Nokogiriyama Museum of Art, and only the Stone Storehouse annex is advertised as open, so follow the museum's directions before going through the gate.
The street in front is a local road. Stay clear of cars and pedestrians while taking photos.
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Q&A
- Can you see the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall in Futtsu?
- Yes. It faces the old main street and can be seen from the road at any time, free of charge.
- How long is the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall?
- 55 metres in all: 30 metres east of the gate and 25 metres west of it.
- How high is the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall, and how big are the stones?
- It stands 1.8 metres high, built of Bōshū stone blocks 0.3 metres high and 0.8 metres long laid in 6 to 7 courses.
- How is the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall built?
- In level courses with continuous horizontal joints. It is 1.7 metres thick near the gate and thins toward the ends.
- When was the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall built?
- In the early Taishō era, with repairs around 1923 and in 1953.
Basic Information
| Name | Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall (鈴木家住宅石垣) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2288-1 Kanaya Uehara and others, Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/1/15 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone; 55 metres long |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Suzuki Family Residence Stone Wall (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007976
- Chiba Prefectural Board of Education: Suzuki Family Residence Main House and others, Futtsu (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-076.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
