An earthen wall either side of the gate
The Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall (小島家住宅外塀, Kojima-ke Jūtaku Sotobei) in Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, is an early Showa earthen wall enclosing the south side of the Kojima household, running east and west from the front gate and turning corners for 18 metres in all; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 28, 2010 (number 21-0188).
Together with the front gate, the Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall forms the public face of the property and probably makes up most of what can be seen from the road.
Stone, washed mortar and green tile
The Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall rises from a base of uncoursed natural stone laid in the Ranzumi manner. Its lower section is finished in washed-aggregate mortar (Araidashi), and a band of green tiles runs along the foot of that finish.
Above, the wall is plastered in white Shikkui and capped with tiles. From the ground up, the materials change from stone to mortar to tile to plaster: a traditional earthen wall dressed in the materials of the early Showa era.
A wicket door and lattice windows
Beside the front gate is a single-leaf wicket door, and lattice windows are cut into the wall at intervals. People could come and go without opening the main gate, and the windows break up the long stretch of white plaster.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Kojima outer wall as giving the property an attractive, settled frontage. With the front gate, it gives the south side of the property its firm outline.
Visiting
The Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall stands on the south side of the property and, with the front gate, is probably the part that can be seen from outside. The grounds behind it are private, and no public opening has been announced (as of October 2026).
Please do not look in through the lattice windows; view the wall from the road. How the property fits together, what can be seen from outside and how to get there are covered on the Kojima Family Residence (Narukiyo, Kakamigahara) page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall?
- In the Kojima compound in Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, running east and west from the front gate along the south side.
- When was the Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall registered as a cultural property?
- On April 28, 2010, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 21-0188.
- How long is the Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall?
- 18 metres in total, including its turns.
- How is the Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall built?
- It is a tiled earthen wall on an uncoursed stone base, with a washed-mortar lower section, green tiles at its foot and white plaster above, plus a wicket door by the gate and lattice windows.
- Can the Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall be seen from outside?
- It stands on the south side and can probably be seen from outside. The grounds behind it are private.
Basic Information
| Name | Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall (小島家住宅外塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-76-2 Narukiyocho, Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 21-0188 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/04/28 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Earthen wall, tiled roof; 18 metres long |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008123
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kojima Family Residence Outer Wall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/168801
- Kakamigahara City official website — Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (list of registered structures)
- https://www.city.kakamigahara.lg.jp/kankobunka/bunkazai/1005182.html
- Gifu Prefecture official website (Cultural Heritage Division) — Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (structures)
- https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/page/12417.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
