A ridge-post gate and 50 meters of high wall on the road
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls (コヤノ美術館西脇館（旧藤井家住宅）表門及び塀, omotemon oyobi hei) in Ichihara-cho, Nishiwaki, Hyogo Prefecture, is a late Meiji-period gate and wall listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on November 17, 2015. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to between 1898 and 1912 and registers gate and wall together as one structure.
It stands on the east side of the estate, facing the road. The gate is a Munamon 2.5 meters wide, and the wall runs off on both sides for a total of 50 meters. From outside, this gate and wall, together with the gable of the rice storehouse just south of the gate, are almost all of the estate that you can see.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs classes the main house and storehouses as buildings but this gate and wall as "other structures": they enclose a boundary rather than a room.
Why it was registered: the face of the estate
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls was registered (no. 28-0632) as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits the gate and walls, capped with pantile roofs, with giving the front of the estate a harmonious appearance.
The wall bends to follow the shape of the plot. The Agency gives its lengths, including the turns, as 8.8 meters to the south and 41 meters to the north. Most of it lies north of the gate, so walking the road you see a long run of wall stretching away from the entrance as the face of the house.
What to look for: open eaves and gated side walls
The gate of the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls is a munamon, in which two main posts carry the ridge directly. Its Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles sits on widely spaced Taruki rafters, and rear braces stand behind it. Look up under the eaves from in front of the gate and, because the rafters are set apart, you can see through to the roof boarding.
On each side of the gate is a short Sodobei flanking wall fitted with a Kugurido wicket door, so people could come and go without opening the main gate. Compare the size of the main doors with the wicket doors as you pass.
The wall itself is timber, a high wall with Koshiita board skirting and a pantile coping. Board skirting, wall face and tiled cap make a three-part band that runs unbroken for 50 meters. Stand at one of the bends and you can take in both faces of the wall at once.
Seeing the front gate and walls
Because the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls faces the road on the east side of the estate, its exterior can be seen from the street on any day, not only when the museum is open. The front gate is also the entrance to the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building, and visitors pass through it to enter.
The rear braces of the gate and the inner face of the flanking walls can only be seen once you are through. When photographing from the road, choose a spot that does not block traffic; the wall is long, and looking back toward the gate from near the northern bend fits the whole run into one view.
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Q&A
- When was the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls built and registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Meiji period, 1898 to 1912. It was registered on November 17, 2015 (registration no. 28-0632).
- What type of gate is the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls?
- A munamon, in which two main posts carry the ridge. It has a gabled pantile roof over widely spaced rafters, rear braces, and flanking walls with wicket doors on both sides.
- How big is the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls?
- The gate is 2.5 meters wide and the wall is 50 meters long in total. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the wall lengths, including the turns, as 8.8 meters to the south and 41 meters to the north.
- Can the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls be seen without entering the museum?
- Yes. It faces the road on the east side of the estate, so the exterior can be seen from the street. The back of the gate and the inner side of the flanking walls are seen after entering.
- Why is the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls classed as an "other structure"?
- Because it is a gate and wall that enclose the estate rather than a building with rooms. The Agency for Cultural Affairs classes the main house and storehouses as buildings and this gate and wall as other structures.
Basic Information
| Name | Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls |
|---|---|
| Location | 139 Ichihara-cho, Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered on November 17, 2015 (Heisei 27) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Front gate: wooden, tiled roof, 2.5 m wide, with flanking walls / Wall: wooden, tiled roof, total length 50 m |
| Owner | Koyano Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the road; inside the gate, shown on guided tours of the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Sundays; other days by reservation) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010862
- Cultural Heritage Online: Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Front Gate and Walls
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/213787
- Koyano Museum of Art: Floor Guide, Nishiwaki Building (Japanese)
- https://koyafron.co.jp/museum/nishiwaki/floor.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04
