The Wall That Faces the Road
The Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall (西尾家住宅前庭門及び塀, Nishio-ke Jūtaku Maeniwa-mon oyobi Hei) is the late Edo-period gate and outer wall marking the north edge of the Nishio Family Residence along the old San'in Road in Oyamakami, Tambasasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 23 July 2004.
The wall begins at the north end of the partition between the main house's reception room and the room beside it, runs along the road and turns to meet the northwest corner of the teahouse. The Agency for Cultural Affairs description gives its length as 14 ken, while the structure field of the same database records a timber gate 4.8 metres wide with a copper roof and a wall 20 metres long; the two figures do not agree.
The Nishio Front Garden Gate and Wall is also one of the elements enclosing the forecourt in front of the main entrance.
Why It Was Registered
The gate and wall were registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. The Agency calls them indispensable to the frontage of the compound, from the forecourt out along the road.
Directly across the road, the gate and wall of the waterwheel shed are built the same way. Walking the old San'in Road, you pass between two Nishio walls facing each other.
What to Look At
The north face
On the road side the wall has vertical boarding along its lower half and exposed posts in the Shinkabe manner, under a Sangawara-buki tile coping. Dark boards below and white plaster above run on along the road.
The gate on the east face
The eastern stretch of the wall is roofed in copper, and the forecourt gate opens there. Tile on the road front and copper at the gate: the roofing material changes with the part of the wall.
From reception room to teahouse
The Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall starts at the reception rooms of the main house and ends at the teahouse, screening the two rooms where guests were received from the road outside.
Visiting
The Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall stands on the old San'in Road, and its north face can be seen from there. Behind the gate is a private home; as of October 2026 there was no notice of public access, so do not pass through the gate.
Compare it with the gate and wall of the waterwheel shed opposite to see the same design repeated on both sides of the road.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall built?
- It dates from the late Edo period and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 23 July 2004.
- How long is the Nishio front garden wall?
- The structure field of the Agency for Cultural Affairs database gives a wall 20 metres long and a gate 4.8 metres wide, while the description gives the wall's length as 14 ken. The figures do not agree.
- How is the Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall built?
- The road face has boarded lower walls, exposed posts and a tiled coping; the eastern stretch is roofed in copper and holds the forecourt gate.
- Why is the Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape and is described as indispensable to the compound's frontage on the road.
- Can I see the Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall?
- Yes, the north face can be seen from the old San'in Road. The grounds behind the gate are private, with no notice of public access as of October 2026.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall (西尾家住宅前庭門及び塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 699 Oyamakami, Tambasasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/7/23 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, copper roof, gate 4.8 metres wide, wall 20 metres long |
| Owner | Private (owner field blank in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the old San'in Road (grounds not open) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004282
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nishio Family Residence Front Garden Gate and Wall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/169592
Last verified: 2026.10.08
