The Wall Around the Estate
The Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall (畠中家住宅外塀, Hatanaka-ke Jūtaku Sotobei) is a mid-Meiji boundary wall enclosing the east side and the eastern ends of the south and north sides of the Hatanaka family estate in Doi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2010. Built partly of stacked roof tiles and partly of mortared stone, it runs for 44 metres in total.
It is capped with tiles, and of the nine registered items it is the one that encloses most of the estate's outer boundary.
Why It Was Registered
The Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall is a kind of Neribei, a wall of tiles laid in courses on a Kikkōzumi hexagonal stone footing. Layers of tile and earth produce horizontal stripes where the tile edges show on the face. At the corners mortar is rendered to look like posts, giving the ends a crisp finish.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the mix of left- and right-lapping pantiles on the coping and to a stretch halfway along the east face finished with river stones in the ishiguro manner, and credits the wall with giving the estate a varied, lively boundary. The criterion is a contribution to the historic landscape.
The Ishiguro Stretch
Ishiguro is the local name for a traditional kneaded wall of stone and earth; the national record for the nearby Iwasaki Family Residence describes its ishiguro wall as made of mountain stone and red clay. On the Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall a section in the middle of the east face uses rounded river stones in a similar way.
Where the tile courses give way to river stones, the texture of the wall changes completely. Walk the length of the wall and you will see sections of quite different materials set side by side.
The coping tiles vary too, with left- and right-lapping pantiles both in use. Look for the place where tiles overlapping in opposite directions meet.
Visiting
Because it forms the outer boundary, the Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall is among the easier of the nine items to see from outside, and the wall itself can be viewed from the road. The grounds behind it are a private home and not open.
Please do not touch the wall or look over it, and avoid leaning on it; stacked tile and stone are easily damaged.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- What kind of wall is the Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall?
- A kneaded wall of tiles laid on a hexagonal stone footing, with a stretch of mortared stone, capped with tiles and 44 metres long in total.
- When was the Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall built and registered?
- The national record dates it to the mid-Meiji era, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2010.
- What is the ishiguro section of the Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall?
- A stretch in the middle of the east face built of river stones. Ishiguro is the local name for a traditional wall of stone and earth.
- Where is the Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall?
- It encloses the east side of the estate and the eastern ends of the south and north sides.
- Can I see the Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall?
- Yes, from the road, since it forms the outer boundary. The grounds are private, so please do not touch the wall or look over it.
Basic Information
| Name | Hatanaka Family Residence Outer Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 633 Higashitakazono, Doi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/4/28 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 structure (counted as 1 building in the register) |
| Dimensions | Tile-laid and mortared-stone wall, tiled coping, total length 44 metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior from the road only) |
References
- 畠中家住宅外塀 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008214
- 畠中家住宅外塀 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/222749
- 岩崎家住宅練塀 (Iwasaki Family Residence Wall, on ishiguro) (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008206
Last verified: 2026.09.27
