Nineteen Metres of Stone Along the Street
The Mori Family Residence (Former Nomura Mokuma Residence) South Stone Wall (森家住宅（旧野村茂久馬邸）南石塀, Mori-ke Jūtaku Minami-ishibei) is an early Taisho stone wall at Otsu 2595 in Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on 18 October 2000. It follows the southern edge of the plot along the road, turning as it goes, for 19 metres, and is 50 centimetres thick and 2.5 metres high.
Like the West Stone Wall, it is an Ishiguro, the Neribei type of wall peculiar to Nahari: rounded beach stones laid in a binding mix and capped with a narrow tiled roof.
Of the three walls, this is the one the town sees most of. For anyone walking the southern road, the South Stone Wall is essentially the face of the Mori Family Residence.
Why the South Stone Wall Was Registered
The Mori Family Residence South Stone Wall was registered as a work that would not be easy to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs adds that it is both part of the layout of the residence and a contributor to the street scenery characteristic of Nahari.
That second point takes the wall's value beyond the property line. In the older part of Nahari, households marked the edge of the street with walls of beach stone. At 2.5 metres, the stone face rises above the eye level of anyone on the road, so the street ends up lined on both sides by walls of stone and tile. The South Stone Wall carries 19 metres of that townscape.
Its section, 50 centimetres thick and 2.5 metres high, matches the West and East Stone Walls exactly. Three walls built to one cross-section suggests that the whole perimeter of the compound was planned at once in the early Taisho years.
What to Look For
The turn
The Mori Family Residence (Former Nomura Mokuma Residence) South Stone Wall does not run straight; the Agency records its 19 metres as a length with a turn in it. Where it bends to follow the road, watch how the courses of stone and the capping roof carry round the angle. The mason's decisions show most clearly there, far more than on the flat runs.
The capping roof
A small tiled roof runs along the top. The material binding the stones does not stand up well to rain, and water getting in from above would slowly break the wall apart, so the roof works as a hat. From the far side of the road, its line of tile runs the full 19 metres, a level edge above the uneven stone.
Every stone different
Up close, no two beach stones match. Size and colour shift from one to the next, and the joints do not line up either across or down. With 19 metres to walk, there is room to notice how the choice of stone changes along the way.
Seeing the South Stone Wall
The Mori Family Residence South Stone Wall faces the road on the south side of the plot, and its full length can be seen on foot from the street. No booking is needed to look at the wall. Coming from the western road, turn the corner at the south end of the West Stone Wall and the South Stone Wall carries on from there.
There is no published policy on photography. The property behind the wall is a private home, so please do not touch the stones or look over into the grounds. Directions and town-walk booking details are on the Mori Family Residence (Former Nomura Mokuma Residence) page.
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Q&A
- Where can I see the Mori Family Residence (Former Nomura Mokuma Residence) South Stone Wall?
- It faces the road on the south side of the property and can be seen in full from the street. No booking is needed.
- How long and how high is the Mori Family Residence South Stone Wall?
- It runs 19 metres including its turn, stands 2.5 metres high and is 50 centimetres thick.
- Why does the Mori Family Residence South Stone Wall matter to the Nahari townscape?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as part of the residence layout that also forms the street scenery characteristic of Nahari.
- What is the tiled roof on top of the Mori Family Residence South Stone Wall for?
- It keeps rain out of the material binding the stones, protecting the wall from slow damage.
- When was the Mori Family Residence (Former Nomura Mokuma Residence) South Stone Wall registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000, as a work that would not be easy to reproduce. It dates from the early Taisho period.
Basic Information
| Name | Mori Family Residence (Former Nomura Mokuma Residence) South Stone Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | Otsu 2595, Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 18 October 2000 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, 19 metres long (with a turn), 50 centimetres thick, 2.5 metres high |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the road |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: South Stone Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001979
- Cultural Heritage Online: South Stone Wall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/192979
- Japan Heritage Portal: component property entry (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/3447/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
