A Brick Wall Around the Back of the House
The Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall (西尾家住宅レンガ塀, Nishio-ke Jūtaku Renga-bei) is an early Taisho-period brick wall along the west and south sides of the Nishio Family Residence in Nahari, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000. It is 10 metres long.
The Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall carries registration number 39-0024. The national database classes it as an other structure, making it the only one of the six registered items that is not a building.
Why It Was Registered: English Bond Brickwork
The wall starts at the southwest end of the barn, turns at the southwest corner of the lot and ends against the southwest corner of the storehouse. A single gateway opens in the western part of the south side.
It is one brick thick, laid in English bond: courses showing the long faces of the bricks alternate with courses showing their ends. Twenty-nine courses rise from a stone base, and a small roof caps the top.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the vivid contrast between the brick and the white Tosa-shikkui plaster of the storehouse. The wall was registered as a model of form.
What to Look For: Twenty-Nine Courses and a Little Roof
Look at the joints on the Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall. Because the bricks turn with every course, the face of the wall has a regular banded rhythm.
Count up from the stone base and you reach 29 courses before the capping roof, which keeps rain off the top. Red-brick storehouses and walls appear here and there among the white plaster of Nahari's old streets; this is one of them.
Visiting
The Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall bounds a private home, and the grounds are closed. Because the wall faces outward, it can be seen from the road together with the storehouse.
The gateway in the south side is still a household entrance, so do not stand in front of it.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- When was the Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall built and registered?
- It dates to the early Taisho period and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000.
- How is the Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall built?
- It is one brick thick in English bond, 29 courses high on a stone base, with a small roof along the top.
- Where does the Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall run?
- From the southwest end of the barn along the west side, turning at the southwest corner and running along the south side to the storehouse, 10 metres in all.
- What should I look for on the Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall?
- The banded pattern of English bond and the contrast between the brick and the white plaster of the storehouse beside it.
- Can I see the Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall?
- Yes, from the road. The grounds are closed, but the wall faces outward.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishio Family Residence Brick Wall (西尾家住宅レンガ塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1578 Otsu, Nahari-cho, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/10/18 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Brick, 10 metres long |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior as seen from the road) |
References
- 西尾家住宅レンガ塀 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001974
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings), Kochi Prefecture
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2023062200186/
- 西尾家住宅レンガ塀 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/114854
- Nahari Old Townscape (Chugei Japan Heritage tourism site)
- https://yuzuroad.jp/spot/%E5%A5%88%E5%8D%8A%E5%88%A9%E5%8F%A4%E3%81%84%E7%94%BA%E4%B8%A6%E3%81%BF-%EF%BC%88%E5%A5%88%E5%8D%8A%E5%88%A9%E7%94%BA%EF%BC%89/
Last verified: 2026.09.29
