A Granite Gate on the Street
The Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall (黒沢治助商店門及び石塀, Kurosawa Jisuke Shōten Mon oyobi Ishibei) is a granite gate and low stone wall of the late Taisho period (1912 to 1925) along the street in front of the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten store in Fukuoka, Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2009.
Two granite posts stand 3.6 metres apart to form the gate, and from them a stone wall runs 7.2 metres along the roadside. Gate and wall are registered together as one structure.
Why It Was Registered: Setting the Street Front
The Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for its contribution to the historic landscape. In the words of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it gives the property a proper formal front.
The store stands right on the street. Setting a stone gate and wall before it adds the dignity of a residence to a shopfront. With the store, the warehouse and the brick fire walls, it makes up the part of Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten that the street sees.
What to Look For: Square Posts and Edo-kiri Masonry
Each gatepost of the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall is a plain square shaft of granite, 37 centimetres on a side and 2.6 metres high. There is no ornament; the weight of the stone is the whole statement.
The wall is laid in granite blocks with an Edokiri finish and topped with Coping stone coping stones. In Edo-kiri work the edges of each block are dressed into a narrow flat margin while the face is left rough, so every stone is outlined by a fine smooth border. The wall stands 90 centimetres high and 30 centimetres thick, and its length of 7.2 metres is exactly twice the width of the gate opening.
Seeing the Gate and Stone Wall
The Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall lines the street, so it can be seen freely from the public road. From the opposite side of the road, the store fits neatly between the gateposts, framing the whole street front in one view (checked 29 September 2026).
The dressed margins of the Edo-kiri blocks are clearest at close range. Everything inside the gate is private property with no visitor access, so enjoy it from the pavement.
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Q&A
- How old is the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall?
- It dates from the late Taisho period (1912 to 1925), the same period as the store and main house.
- How large are the posts of the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall?
- They are square granite posts 37 centimetres on a side and 2.6 metres high, set 3.6 metres apart.
- How is the wall of the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall built?
- Of granite blocks with an Edo-kiri finish, topped by coping stones: 90 centimetres high, 30 centimetres thick and 7.2 metres long.
- Why is the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 2 November 2009 for giving the property its formal street front and contributing to the historic landscape.
- Can I see the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall?
- Yes. It stands on the street and can be seen from the public road. The grounds inside the gate are private.
Basic Information
| Name | Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Gate and Stone Wall (黒沢治助商店門及び石塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 6 Nakamachi, Fukuoka, Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/2 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Gate: stone, opening 3.6 metres; wall: stone, 7.2 metres long |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street (no entry to the grounds) |
References
- 黒沢治助商店門及び石塀 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007833
Last verified: 2026.09.29
