North Partition Wall and Wicket Gate of the Treasure Storehouse, Hirao Family Residence
Few things convey the scale of the Hirao Family Residence in Toyooka better than its walls and gates. Within an estate of about 4,000 square metres, home to a family of great village headmen and leading Tajima landowners, layer upon layer of fences and gateways sort the ground into gardens, working yards and private quarters, an arrangement assembled from the Edo period through the early Showa era.
The Structure Itself
Running from the north face of the treasure storehouse to the west end of the detached quarters' north wall, this partition divides the inner garden from the garden east of the retirement house. Where it meets the storehouse, the ridge is stepped up a level to carry a wicket gate.
The wicket is 2.4 metres along the ridge, with a 1.0-metre sliding door at its centre and board walls to either side. The partition itself is a pantiled board fence, sheathed in horizontal weatherboard on the inner-garden side and vertical boarding toward the retirement house. As so often at Hirao, the two faces of one wall are treated differently according to the space each addresses.
Why It Was Registered
The estate was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2008, recognising how completely the framework of a great landowner's compound, its main house, quarters, storehouses, walls and waterworks, survives here as a single ensemble. Each registered element earns its place less as a solitary monument than as one part of that larger, coherent whole.
Seeing It Today
The Hirao Family Residence remains a private home and is, as a rule, not open to the public. Visitors should not expect interior access, and the family's privacy asks for a respectful distance. The exterior and its river setting can be appreciated from the public road nearby, and travellers to this corner of Tajima can pair a passing look with the region's more accessible sights: the willow-lined hot-spring town of Kinosaki Onsen, the old castle town of Izushi with its soba and clock tower, and the columnar basalt cliffs of Genbudo Park along the Maruyama River.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hirao Family Treasure House North Partition Wall and Gate
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Q&A
- Can I go inside the Hirao Family Residence?
- No. The residence is privately owned and generally closed to the public. You can view its exterior and river setting from the adjacent public road, but please respect the residents' privacy.
- What is a treasure storehouse (hozo)?
- A hozo is a storehouse for a family's valuables and heirlooms. This wall and its wicket gate mark the boundary of the garden beside it, and step up in height where they meet the storehouse itself.
- How old is this part of the estate?
- It dates to the mid-Meiji period (1868–1911). The estate as a whole was built up across generations, from Edo-period storehouses through the 1896 main house to early-Showa additions, so its elements span more than a century.
- What else can I see nearby?
- Toyooka offers Kinosaki Onsen for its hot springs, the castle town of Izushi for soba and historic streets, and Genbudo Park for its dramatic columnar basalt, all within easy reach of the Morio district.
Basic Information
| Name | North Partition Wall and Wicket Gate of the Treasure Storehouse, Hirao Family Residence (平尾家住宅宝蔵北仕切塀及び潜り門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 958 Ando, Morio, Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Registered | 7 March 2008 (gazetted 19 March 2008) |
| Count | 1棟 |
| Structure | Wall: timber, tiled, 10 m; gate: timber, tiled, 1.0 m wide |
| Period | mid-Meiji period (1868–1911) |
| Ownership / Access | Privately owned; not open to the public |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs — 平尾家住宅宝蔵北仕切塀及び潜り門
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006921
- Cultural Heritage Online — Main House, Hirao Family Residence
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/186783
- The Tajima (Tajima Encyclopedia) — Hirao Family Residence
- https://the-tajima.com/spot/393/
Last verified: 2026.07.02