Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Kawabata Family Residence South Wall

Kawabata Family Residence South Wall: Rebuilt After the 1910 Flood

A 15.1-meter tiled boundary wall on the south side of the Kawabata estate in Fujioka, Gunma, badly damaged in the 1910 flood and rebuilt in its original form.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

What Is the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall?

The Kawabata Family Residence South Wall (川端家住宅南塀, Kawabata-ke Jūtaku Minami-bei) is a tall boundary wall closing the western half of the south side of the Kawabata estate in Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture, built around the middle Meiji period and registered in 2001 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

It runs about 15.1 meters. It is a boarded wall roofed with tile: bracket arms carry a boarded eave, and Sangawara-buki tiles are laid over it. Together with the South Grain Storehouse, which fills the eastern half, it closes the estate’s southern boundary.

That south side faces the old Nakasendo highway, so wall and storehouse form the single outline the estate presents to the road.

Why the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall Was Registered

The Kawabata Family Residence South Wall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion "contributes to the historic landscape of the country." The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as the element that marks off the estate along the old road.

A wall is not a building one admires in isolation. But among the houses strung along the highway, it is the wall that states where the estate begins and shapes the view down the street.

With the West Wall, registered under the same criterion, the two tall walls that carry the perimeter are treated as cultural property in their own right, alongside the buildings.

Highlights of the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall

Read the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall from the ground up and its construction becomes clear. A footing of rounded river stones comes first, then a course of sill stones set on top, a doubled stone base, and only then the timber frame.

That frame is Shinkabe construction, with the posts left visible rather than plastered over. A wall it may be, but it is built like a building.

The flood of 1910 damaged it badly. The Agency records that it was rebuilt in the same form, and the owners’ website carries a photograph of Kawabata Saizaburō directing the recovery. What stands today came through disaster and rebuilding.

Visiting the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall

The Kawabata Family Residence South Wall stands on the southern boundary and can be seen from the old road. The estate itself is a private home, and nothing inside the gates is open to the public.

The wall faces the street, but it is the front of someone’s home. If you photograph it, keep out of the way of traffic and neighbors.

Transport and an overview of the estate are on the Kawabata Family Residence page.

Q&A

QWhere is the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall?: AAlong the western half of the estate’s south side; the South Grain Storehouse fills the eastern half.

QHow long is the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall and how is it built?: AAbout 15.1 meters. A river-stone footing and sill stones support an exposed-post timber frame, with bracket arms carrying a boarded eave under tiles.

QWas the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall damaged by flooding?: AYes. It was badly damaged in the 1910 flood and rebuilt in the same form.

QWhy is the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?: AIt was registered in 2001 for contributing to the historic landscape as the element defining the estate along the old road.

QCan the Kawabata Family Residence South Wall be seen from outside?: AYes, from the old road. The interior of the estate, however, is not open to the public.

Basic Information

Name	Kawabata Family Residence South Wall
Location	391 Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	2001 (Heisei 13)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Length 15 m (about 15.1 m)
Owner	Kawabata Hozensha
Public Access	Not open to the public (private home; reservation-only use for filming and events)