Roy Smith House Gateposts and Stone Walls (Otani Family

An Elegant Threshold in Granite and Stone

The property occupies a generous plot on the mid-slope of Mt. Nagamine, just above Hyogo-ken Kobe Gokoku Shrine. At its eastern frontage stands a centrally placed gate flanked by a small side entrance for pedestrians. The gate pillars are built of reinforced concrete, 1.9 meters tall with an opening 3.0 meters wide, and are clad entirely in polished Mikage granite—the celebrated grey stone long quarried in the nearby Mikage district of Kobe. The stone walls then wrap around the east, west, and south sides of the compound in a graceful turning line, extending a total of 111 meters and reaching up to 4.7 meters at their tallest. The ensemble is a textbook example of the "Mikage-bei" granite wall style, which once defined the outer appearance of large private residences across the Hanshin region.

A 1935 Estate by a Celebrated Local Architect

The gate and walls were built around 1935 (Showa 10) together with the main house, which was commissioned by Shigeru Otani, a Kobe trading merchant who prospered during Japan's interwar boom. The architect was Eiji Shimizu, whose portfolio includes several beloved Kobe landmarks—most notably the Mikage Public Hall and the Konan-zuke Museum (the former Takashima Residence). The main residence is a bright, modern, two-story wooden hipped-roof building finished with Spanish tiles and half-timbered walls, punctuated by triple windows and stained glass featuring sailing-ship motifs that nod to Kobe's maritime identity. The gate and walls were conceived as an integral part of this composition, establishing the formal character of the estate from the moment a visitor approached from the street.

Why It Was Designated a Cultural Property

On October 28, 2011, the gate pillars and stone walls were added to the national register of Tangible Cultural Properties as part of a group registration that also included the main house and the garage. The Agency for Cultural Affairs cited three principal values. First, the granite-clad pillars and long Mikage-bei wall together form a "yashiki-gamae"—a formal estate composition—that was once typical of large upper-class homes in this part of Kobe, but which has become increasingly rare as properties have been subdivided. Second, the craftsmanship of the granite facing and stonework reflects a high level of early-Showa artisanship using locally quarried material. Third, the pillars and walls survive as an essentially complete and intact frame for an intact Showa-era house, giving a coherent picture of elite residential culture in the foothills of Mt. Rokko in the 1930s.

The Story Behind the Name: Professor Roy Smith

The name "Roy Smith House" comes from an extraordinary American educator. Roy Smith was born in Illinois in June 1878 and arrived in Japan in September 1909, at the age of 31, to take up a post at the former Kobe Higher Commercial School—the predecessor of present-day Kobe University. He remained on the faculty through the late Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras, finally retiring in March 1968 at the age of 89 and becoming the university's very first foreign "Professor Emeritus." His roughly 58-year tenure remains the longest in the institution's history.

In 1960, former students who held Smith in deep affection pooled their resources to purchase the former Otani residence for their beloved teacher. On November 21 of that year, a naming ceremony was held to christen the property "THE ROY SMITH HOUSE." Smith lived there until he left Japan in 1968 and passed away in June 1969. A bronze bust of Smith still stands in the forecourt of the Rokkodai Main Building on the Kobe University campus, and a portrait of him by the painter Masami Nakayama hangs in the Social Sciences Library—both gifts from the same grateful students.

Highlights to Look For on the Street

Because the property today functions as the administrative office of the Kobe University Rokkodai Support Association, the interior and garden are not open to the public. Visitors are asked to enjoy the heritage from the street—but there is plenty to admire from outside.

The first thing that strikes most passersby is the sheer length of the stone wall, which follows the contour of the hillside rather than running in a single straight line. Look closely at the jointing of the granite blocks: each face has been quarried, squared, and set with the understated precision that was the hallmark of early-Showa masons. The gate pillars, squat and deliberately calm in proportion, offer a beautiful contrast between the geometric discipline of the cut stone and the softer Spanish-tiled roof of the main house just visible beyond. In season, plantings along the wall add colour, and late-afternoon light turning the granite warm silver is a particular pleasure for photographers.

How to Visit and What to See Nearby

The site is reached most easily on foot from Hankyu Rokko Station, roughly a twenty-minute walk uphill through one of Kobe's most prestigious old residential districts. JR Rokkomichi Station is also within walking distance for those who don't mind a slightly longer climb. The route itself is part of the charm: the lanes are lined with granite retaining walls, mature gardens, and the occasional early-Showa villa, giving a strong sense of how this neighborhood once looked.

Just below the property stands Hyogo-ken Kobe Gokoku Shrine, famed for its avenue of cherry trees in spring and for its monthly "Bazar in Rokko" flea market held on the fourth Sunday. The main campus of Kobe University, with its own group of registered buildings, lies a short walk to the east. Further afield, the same architect's masterwork, the Mikage Public Hall, can be reached in about twenty minutes by train and a walk, making for a rewarding day of Eiji Shimizu appreciation. The Nada sake-brewing district, Kobe's famous foreign settlement at Kitano, and the summit of Mt. Rokko itself are all within easy reach as extensions to the visit.