A Brick and Black-Plaster Wall Between House and Annex
The Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall (新麹屋柏原家住宅中庭塀, Shinkōjiya Kashiwabara-ke Jūtaku Nakaniwa-bei) is a later Taishō-era (1919 to 1926) wall standing between the main house and the annex of the Kashiwabara merchant compound in Ogawa, Ogawa-machi, Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 24 June 2021.
Built of timber with a tiled roof, it is 12 metres long, faces south onto the old Satsuma Kaidō and closes off the courtyard between the two buildings. Uki City dates it more narrowly to about 1921 or 1922, which would make it roughly contemporary with the annex.
How It Came to Be Registered: Repair After the Kumamoto Earthquakes
When the main house, annex, and gate and wall were registered on 25 February 2016, the courtyard wall was not among them. Two months later, in April 2016, the Kumamoto earthquakes struck and the wall was damaged.
It was repaired in 2018 with a subsidy from Kumamoto Prefecture's programme for restoring disaster-damaged cultural properties. Uki City has described the episode as a chance to look again at the value of the area's historic buildings. Following a recommendation from the Council for Cultural Affairs, it was registered on 24 June 2021 as number 43-0183.
Like the other three structures, the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall was registered as contributing to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as forming part of the compound's streetscape.
What to Look For: A Checkered Brick Base
The wall rests on a line of foundation stones, with posts set every half-bay, roughly 0.9 metres apart. The panels between them are finished in black Shikkui lime plaster over a lower section of brick.
That brick base is the thing to look for. The bricks are laid to form a checkerboard-like pattern, a detail the Agency itself picks out as eye-catching. Black plaster above red brick gives the Shinkōjiya courtyard wall a very different face from the white plaster of the gate and wall on the same property.
Along the top runs a Ranma band with diagonal cross battens in the Tasuki pattern, under a Sangawara-buki pantile roof. The wall is braced with round steel bars. Iron fittings on a wall of timber and plaster are a small sign of the new materials builders were adopting in the Taishō years.
Viewing the Courtyard Wall
The Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall faces south onto the old highway, and the photograph in the national database was taken from outside it. It is probably visible from the street, but we have not been able to confirm on site how much of the brick base can be seen.
The courtyard behind the wall is part of a private home, and entering it requires contacting the owners in advance. No photography rules have been published; if in doubt, ask when you get in touch.
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Q&A
- When was the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall registered?
- On 24 June 2021, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, a little over five years after the main house, annex, and gate and wall.
- Was the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall damaged in the Kumamoto earthquakes?
- Yes. It was damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes and repaired in 2018 with a Kumamoto Prefecture subsidy.
- What should I look for at the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall?
- The brick base laid in a checkerboard-like pattern, along with the black plaster, the cross-battened band at the top and the round steel bracing bars.
- When was the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the later Taishō era (1919 to 1926); Uki City gives about 1921 or 1922.
- Can I visit the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall?
- The wall faces the old Satsuma Kaidō. The courtyard behind it is private, so going inside requires contacting the owners beforehand.
Basic Information
| Name | Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Courtyard Wall (新麹屋柏原家住宅中庭塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 58-1 Kamikarigaya, Ogawa, Ogawa-machi, Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/6/24 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, 12 metres long |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (entry to the courtyard by prior arrangement) |
References
- 新麹屋柏原家住宅中庭塀 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013903
- 新麹屋柏原家住宅中庭塀 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/544141
- Courtyard wall restored after the Kumamoto earthquakes recommended for registration (Uki City)
- https://www.city.uki.kumamoto.jp/kankobunka/bunka/bunkashinko/2026831
- Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence: main house, annex, gate and wall, courtyard wall (Uki City)
- https://www.city.uki.kumamoto.jp/kankobunka/bunka/bunkazai/shitei/2264622
Last verified: 2026.09.28
