What is the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall?
The Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall (野村家住宅南石塀, Nomura-ke Jūtaku Minami Ishibei) is a stone wall from the late Meiji era at Otsu 2578 in Nahari, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 18, 2000. It is 25 meters long, about 40 cm thick and 1.6 m high.
It runs along the southern edge of the plot, on the line between the Nomura land and the neighboring property. Like the East Stone Wall, it is described by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as an Ishiguro, a mortared stone wall of the local type.
Its job is different from the east wall's. It has no gate and does not face the road. It marks a boundary.
Why it was registered
The Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall was registered as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce.
What the Agency singles out is how modest it is. At about 40 cm thick and 1.6 m high, it matches the East Stone Wall and is a little smaller than ishiguro found elsewhere. Even the ends are finished in plain split stone rather than shaped corner blocks, a treatment the Agency describes as having a simple, unpretentious feel.
Walls built to impress often have their ends squared off with cut corner stones. On a boundary that few people would see, the builders of the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall skipped that step and carried the split stone right to the end. Yet they still put 25 meters of proper ishiguro along a side line, which says something about how a house of standing in late-Meiji Nahari was enclosed.
What to look for
Ends built of split stone
Look first at the end of the wall. There is no large dressed block at the corner; split stones are simply stacked to build the end up. Set beside walls whose ends are locked with cut corner stones, it shows how differently the same ishiguro type could be finished.
Its link with the East Stone Wall
The two Nomura walls share the same dimensions and date. Together they enclose roughly 48 meters of the east and south sides, one wall with a gate facing the street, the other quietly marking the boundary.
A modest height
At 1.6 m, the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall is roughly at eye level. Even with its narrow tiled cap it is not a wall you look up at; it is kept to the height a boundary needs.
Visiting the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall
Because the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall stands on the boundary with a neighboring property, how much of it can be seen from the road is likely to be limited. Look south from the road on the east side, near where it meets the East Stone Wall, and please do not step onto the neighboring land.
There is no official guidance on photography. The land on both sides of the wall appears to be private, so view it quietly from the street. Directions from Nahari Station are on the Nomura Family Residence (Nahari) page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall?
- It runs along the southern edge of the property, on the boundary with the neighboring land. Unlike the East Stone Wall, it marks a property line rather than facing the street.
- Can I see the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall from the road?
- Because it stands on a boundary, the view from the road is likely to be limited. Please do not enter the neighboring property.
- How big is the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall?
- It is 25 meters long, about 40 cm thick and 1.6 m high. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a little smaller than ishiguro walls elsewhere.
- When was the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs database dates it to the late Meiji era, the same as the East Stone Wall and earlier than the main house of 1922.
- Why is the Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on October 18, 2000, as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce, valued as an ishiguro with plain split-stone ends.
Basic Information
| Name | Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | Otsu 2578, Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered October 18, 2000 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Stone, length 25 meters, thickness about 40 cm, height 1.6 meters |
| Owner | Unknown (owner field blank in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (stands on a boundary; limited view from the road) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database: Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001983
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nomura Family Residence South Stone Wall
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/181893
- Cultural Heritage Database: Nomura Family Residence East Stone Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001982
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings), towns and villages (Kochi Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2024031100049/
Last verified: 2026.10.16
