Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall

Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall: A Roofed Wall on River Cobbles

Two surviving stretches of a 2.5-meter roofed board wall around the Fujiu estate in Kiryu, Gunma, set on river cobbles and cut stone. Early Meiji, registered 2007.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall: A Roofed Board Wall on a Stone Base

The Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall (藤生家住宅外塀, Fujiu-ke Jūtaku Sotobei) is an early Meiji-era roofed timber wall marking the edge of the Fujiu family estate in Hirosawa-chō, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture; two stretches of it survive, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

One stretch runs 7.5 meters south from the water mill hut on the east side; the other covers 16 meters along the middle of the west side. The register gives a total length of 24 meters. The wall stands 2.5 meters high, faced with vertical boards on the outside and left in plain clay on the inside, and capped with its own tiled roof.

Why the Fujiu Outer Wall Was Registered

The Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it has been well maintained and gives the estate a crisp, tight outline.

A wall is easy to overlook, yet this one is what binds 17 separate buildings and structures into a single enclosed homestead when seen from outside. On the east side the vertical boarding continues straight on from the east wall of the water mill hut, so building and wall read as one surface.

Look Down at the Foundation

The base of the Fujiu Outer Wall is built in two courses. The lower course is a retaining wall of rounded river cobbles; on top of it sit squared stones, and on those rests the timber sill that carries the wall. Setting level cut stone over irregular cobbles gives the boarded wall a true horizontal footing and lifts the wood clear of damp ground and rain splash.

The two faces tell a similar story of practicality. Boards take the weather on the outside, while the inner side keeps the softer look of an earthen wall.

Seeing the Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall

Surviving sections of the Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall stand on the east and west edges of the property. Because it sits on the perimeter, parts of it may be glimpsed from the surrounding lanes, but everything inside is a private home that is not open to the public.

Please do not peer over the wall or climb onto the stone base.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall; [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]

Q&A

QHow much of the Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall survives?: ATwo stretches: 7.5 meters running south from the water mill hut on the east side, and 16 meters in the middle of the west side. The registered total length is 24 meters.

QHow tall is the Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall?: AIt is 2.5 meters high and topped with a tiled roof.

QWhat is the Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall built on?: AA retaining course of river cobbles, with squared stones laid on top and a timber sill above them.

QAre the two sides of the Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall finished differently?: AYes. The outside is covered in vertical boards and the inside is left as plain clay. On the east side the outer boarding joins that of the water mill hut.

QCan I enter the grounds behind the Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall?: ANo. The land inside the wall is a private residence and is not open to the public.

Basic Information

Name	Fujiu Family Residence Outer Wall
Location	5-1179 Hirosawacho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	Registered May 15, 2007 (54th round, registration no. 10-0226)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Total length 24 meters (7.5 meters on the east, 16 meters on the west); height 2.5 meters
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Not open to the public (private residence)