Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall

Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall: The Shortest of the 19

At 2.9 meters the shortest structure on the Kawabata estate in Fujioka, Gunma: a sukiya-style inner wall of boards, gray plaster and open latticework.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

What Is the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall?

The Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall (川端家住宅南内塀, Kawabata-ke Jūtaku Minami Uchibei) is a short north–south inner wall just west of the Middle Gate on the Kawabata estate in Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture, built in 1935 and registered in 2001 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

It runs about 2.9 meters, the shortest of the 19 registered structures. Linking the northeast corner of the Main House to the Middle Gate, it separates the forecourt from the inner garden.

The owners’ website dates the inner walls, with the Middle Gate, to around 1939, four years later than the Agency for Cultural Affairs. This article follows the Agency.

Why the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall Was Registered

The Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion "a model of form."

Under three meters long, it earned registration because of where it sits. It closes the gap between two buildings, the Main House and the Middle Gate, and so divides two areas of quite different character.

The Agency calls its design elegant and sukiya in spirit, the tea-house-derived idiom. It shares that language with the Middle Gate, showing that gate and wall were designed as one.

Highlights of the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall

Structurally the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall matches the East Inner Wall. What repays attention is the wall face, which is divided into three bands: vertical boarding at the bottom, a panel of gray nezumi plaster in the middle, and open latticework at the top.

Nezumi shikkui is Shikkui lime plaster tinted gray with ink or similar pigment. Quieter than white plaster, it is a favorite in sukiya design.

The open band at the top lets you sense what lies beyond. By leaving a sliver of the view open rather than sealing the wall, forecourt and inner garden are never fully cut off from one another. For a wall under three meters, a great deal of thought went into both dividing and connecting.

Visiting the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall

The Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall is in the forecourt inside the Great Gate and cannot be seen from outside. The estate is a private home and not open to the public.

The three-band wall face and the open upper band are hard to appreciate from a distance. Ask the owners what can be seen when booking one of their reservation-only services.

Layout and transport details are on the Kawabata Family Residence page.

Q&A

QHow long is the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall?: AAbout 2.9 meters, the shortest of the estate’s 19 registered structures.

QWhat does the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall do?: AIt links the northeast corner of the Main House to the Middle Gate, dividing the forecourt from the inner garden.

QHow is the wall face of the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall composed?: AIn three bands: vertical boarding below, gray plaster in the middle and open latticework above.

QWhy is the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?: AIt was registered in 2001 as "a model of form" for its elegant sukiya-style design.

QCan the Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall be seen from the street?: ANo. It stands in the forecourt inside the Great Gate, and access is by reservation only.

Basic Information

Name	Kawabata Family Residence South Inner Wall
Location	391 Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	2001 (Heisei 13)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Length 2.9 m
Owner	Kawabata Hozensha
Public Access	Not open to the public (private home; reservation-only use for filming and events)