Forty-Four Metres of Roofed Wall
The Former Ueno Family Residence Wall (旧上野家住宅塀, Kyū Ueno-ke Jūtaku Hei) is a 44-metre tiled wall around the south side and garden of the Ueno family compound in Saihoji, Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, built in the late Edo period (1751–1829), extended in the Taishō era (1912–1925) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006.
The Ueno wall starts at the front entrance, runs along the south side of the compound, turns north to enclose the garden and ends at the household shrine northeast of the main house, which the national description calls the Ueno Shrine. A privy is built into it midway along the south side, and from there a cross wall with a garden gate closes off the west side of the garden. The national database classes it as a miscellaneous structure rather than a building and registers it, gate and privy included, as a single property.
It is a timber structure with a tiled gabled coping roof.
Why the Wall Was Registered
The Former Ueno Family Residence Wall was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. From the village road it is the first thing you see, and it draws the outline of the compound against the street.
It encloses more than buildings. The garden inside, known as the Ueno Family Garden, was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty by Kyoto Prefecture on March 16, 2007. The wall is both the outer boundary of the compound and the backdrop to the garden.
Its extension in the Taishō era coincides with Maizuru City's record that the inner reception rooms of the main house were added in the same era. It is tempting to see the rooms, the garden and the wall as one campaign of improvement, but no source found so far links them directly.
What to Look For
The detail is on the road face. The lower part is clad in vertical boards and hishagi-dake, split bamboo pressed flat so that the nodes and fibres form a fine texture. Above that the wall is plastered white with Shikkui. Board, bamboo and plaster run in three bands for the full 44 metres.
Follow the line of the wall and you will find the corner where the straight southern run turns north. This is where it stops fronting the road and starts enclosing the garden.
Midway along the south side, the privy is built into the wall itself, a practical shed made part of the boundary. The cross wall and garden gate on the west side of the garden are seen from inside the compound.
Visiting the Wall
The road face of the Former Ueno Family Residence Wall can be seen from the village road outside the compound. Look at the whole run from across the road first, then step closer to see the split-bamboo cladding. The garden gate and the inner side of the privy are seen from inside the compound on opening days.
No published rule on photography turned up, but photographing the exterior from the road is unlikely to be a problem. The road is a working village lane, so watch for traffic. Opening hours and directions are covered on the Former Ueno Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Where can you see the Ueno Wall?
- The road face can be seen from the village road outside the compound. The garden gate and inner side are seen inside the compound, open free of charge from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days (closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays).
- How long and how old is the Former Ueno Family Residence Wall?
- It runs 44 metres. It was built in the late Edo period (1751–1829) and extended in the Taishō era (1912–1925).
- How is the road face of the Ueno Wall finished?
- The lower part is clad in vertical boards and flattened split bamboo, with white lime plaster above.
- Is the garden inside the Ueno Wall protected too?
- Yes. Known as the Ueno Family Garden, it was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty by Kyoto Prefecture on March 16, 2007.
- Is the Former Ueno Family Residence Wall an Important Cultural Property?
- No. The Former Ueno Family Residence Wall is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, registered on August 3, 2006, on the same day as the other seven structures in the compound.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ueno Family Residence Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 285 Saihoji, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/08/03 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof; 44 metres long; with gate and privy |
| Owner | Maizuru City |
| Public Access | Road face visible from outside; compound open free of charge 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days (closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays) |
References
- Former Ueno Family Residence Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs database, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005633
- Maizuru City Basic Concept for History and Culture, Ch. 2 (2-3): list of designated and registered properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kyouiku/cmsfiles/contents/0000004/4317/2-2.2_2019013109530129.pdf
- Ordinance on the Kasa Area Ōjōya Ueno-ke Facility (Maizuru City bylaws, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/html/reiki_int/reiki_honbun/k104RG00000789.html
- Kasa Area Ōjōya Ueno-ke (Maizuru City official website, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kankou/0000010433.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
