202 Metres of Stone Around the Estate
The Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall (赤木家住宅石垣, Akagi-ke Jūtaku Ishigaki) is a Meiji-period retaining wall that runs for 202 metres around the Akagi estate at 972 Hikino in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 March 2006.
It stands between 0.9 metres and 1.7 metres high. Storehouses and timber walls sit directly on top of it, so the Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall also serves as their foundation.
It is counted as 1 site rather than as a building: the registration treats it as a place, not a structure with a roof.
A Change of Bond From Side to Side
The stonework is not the same all the way round.
The southern part of the east side and the western half of the south side are laid in random bond, cut blocks of basalt of different sizes fitted together without continuous horizontal joints.
Everywhere else, the northern part of the east side, the whole north and west sides, and the eastern half of the south side, the cut stones are laid in coursed work, with each course the same height so that the joints run level. It gives a crisper, more ordered face.
On the east side, where the front gate is, the bond switches partway along a single stretch of wall.
Ground Raised Against the Flood
Tajima no Hyakka Jiten, a regional encyclopedia, presents the Akagi house as a headman's estate that still shows its defences against flooding. It gives the site as 40 metres east to west and 65 metres north to south, about 900 tsubo, and says the stone walls, almost all basalt, raise the ground about 2 metres above its surroundings, and that the house has never been flooded.
That figure does not match the 0.9 metres to 1.7 metres recorded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The height of the raised ground and the exposed face of the wall may be measured from different points.
The Agency values the Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall for tidying and defining the edge of the estate, and it was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Seeing the Stone Wall
Because it runs around the outside of the estate, the Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall is the easiest of the 16 registered structures to see from outside. Stand on the road in front of the east side and you look up at the gate and guardhouse perched on top of it.
The residence is a family home and is generally closed to the public. Admire the stonework from the road; do not climb on it or pry at the stones. Photography rules are not published, so be considerate of the people who live here.
Directions and the terms for visiting the property are on the Akagi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) on 2 March 2006, on the same day as the other 15 registered structures of the residence.
- How long and how high is the Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall?
- It runs for 202 metres around the estate and stands between 0.9 metres and 1.7 metres high, forming the base for storehouses and timber walls.
- How is the Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall built?
- The southern part of the east side and the western half of the south side are basalt blocks in random bond; the rest is cut stone in level courses.
- Is the Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall connected with flood defence?
- Yes. The estate is described as raised about 2 metres above its surroundings against floods from the Maruyama River and never inundated, and the stone wall holds up that raised ground.
- Can the Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall be seen from outside?
- Yes, it runs around the outside of the estate. The residence itself is generally closed; check the Akagi Family Residence page for visiting terms.
Basic Information
| Name | Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall (赤木家住宅石垣) |
|---|---|
| Location | 972 Hikino, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/03/02 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 site |
| Dimensions | Stone, 202 metres long, 0.9 metres to 1.7 metres high |
| Owner | Not listed in the ACA database |
| Public Access | Perimeter visible from outside; residence generally closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall (赤木家住宅石垣)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005327
- Cultural Heritage Online: Akagi Family Residence Stone Wall (赤木家住宅石垣)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/151935
- Tajima no Hyakka Jiten (Tanshin Regional Promotion Fund): Akagi Family Residence (赤木家住宅)
- https://tanshin-kikin.jp/tajima/564
Last verified: 2026.09.26
