Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall
The Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall (瀧口家住宅裏門及び土塀, Takiguchi-ke Jūtaku Uramon oyobi Dobei) is the back gate and perimeter wall of a doctor's estate in Haruta-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, built around 1902 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018.
The rear gate, timber with a tiled roof, opens on the south side of the estate and measures 2.5 metres between its posts. The earthen wall, capped with tile, stands on a stone base laid in the kikkō-zumi tortoiseshell pattern and runs for a total of 115 metres. It dates from the same works as the gatehouse and clinic, so the outer frame of the estate was set in place when the practice opened.
A Wall Built by the Village
The Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall carries a history none of the other eight structures share. According to the national description, the villagers raised this wall themselves, through a labor levy, to welcome a doctor to the community. Its 115-metre length is a measure of how much the village wanted a physician in residence.
The description credits the wall with forming a historic landscape, and the Council for Cultural Affairs, pairing it with the middle gate and side wall, described the boundary walls as giving the estate its imposing presence. It was registered as a contributor to the historic landscape.
What to Look for at the Rear Gate and Earthen Wall
An asymmetrical gate
The two halves of the rear gate do not match. The eastern half-bay is closed with a short wing wall; the western bay, 1 Ken wide, holds a pair of board doors; and a rear brace post stands only at the western end. Where most gates are built symmetrically, this one gives the doorway only the width it needs and closes the rest.
Tortoiseshell stonework
The base of the wall is laid in kikkō-zumi, with stones dressed into roughly hexagonal shapes so the joints resemble a tortoise shell. White plastered wall, tiled coping and patterned stone form three bands that run the length of the estate.
A wall that circles the estate
On the east side the wall merges with the storehouse, and at the southeast corner with the woodshed, so that buildings and wall alternate in drawing the edge of the property. Walking its length gives a sense of the estate's size.
Visiting the Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall
As the outer boundary of the property, the Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall is the most visible of the nine registered structures. View it from the public road outside the wall; do not pass through the rear gate or look over the wall. The Takiguchi Family Residence is still a private home.
Photograph only from the road, with consideration for residents and passers-by. Directions are on the Takiguchi Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall built?
- Around 1902, in the same works as the gatehouse and clinic.
- How long is the wall of the Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall?
- The earthen wall runs for a total of 115 metres on a tortoiseshell-pattern stone base.
- Who built the Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the villagers built the earthen wall through a labor levy to welcome a doctor to the community.
- What is unusual about the gate of the Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall?
- It is asymmetrical: a wing wall fills the eastern half-bay, board doors hang in the western bay, and a brace post stands only at the western end. The posts are 2.5 metres apart.
- Can I see the Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall from outside?
- Yes. It forms the perimeter of the estate and can be seen from the public road. Please stay outside the wall.
Basic Information
| Name | Takiguchi Family Residence Rear Gate and Earthen Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Iwami, Haruta-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/3/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Rear gate: timber, tiled roof, 2.5 metres between posts / Earthen wall: tiled coping, total length 115 metres |
| Owner | Private (owner not disclosed) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 瀧口家住宅裏門及び土塀
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012244
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Council recommendation on new Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/r1392281_21.pdf
- Shobara City, Registered Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.shobara.hiroshima.jp/main/education/shogaigakushu/cat02/02/post_192.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
