What Is the Fureaikan Shirafuji (Former Maruta Clinic) Tsuiji Wall?
The Fureaikan Shirafuji (Former Maruta Clinic) Tsuiji Wall (ふれあい館しらふじ（旧丸田医院）築地塀, read tsuijibei) is a tile-capped earthen wall 20 metres long in Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture, built around 1875 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on September 19, 2003.
It runs out on both sides of the Nagayamon gatehouse at the front of the estate. To the north it joins the three-storey storehouse; to the south it turns in a U shape around the southwest corner of the gate. The Agency for Cultural Affairs classifies it not as a building but as a structure.
Why It Was Registered: The Wall That Ties the Front Together
It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape. The agency credits its careful finish with giving the front of the estate an ordered appearance.
Gatehouse and storehouse are very different buildings, and this wall links them with a single white line. The street front of the house built by the Urano family, former Suzaka domain officials, only works as a whole with gate, wall and corner storehouse together.
What to Look For
Look at the base. Rounded boulders are stacked up and capped with dressed stone, and above that the lower wall is finished in polished Shikkui plaster, a laborious surface worked again and again with a trowel until it takes a sheen. Spending that effort on the skirting of a boundary wall says a good deal about the status of the house.
A small roof of sangawara tiles runs along the top. On the inside, buttress posts hold up an extension of that roof, creating covered space for storing tools. From the street it is one plain wall; behind it, it doubles as a shed.
Visiting the Tsuiji Wall
The Fureaikan Shirafuji Tsuiji Wall lines the street, so the exterior is visible from the road, and the boulder base and polished plaster can be examined at close range while walking past.
The inner side, with its buttress posts and sheltered storage, lies within the Shirafuji rental inn and can be seen only by overnight guests. No official rule on photography is published. Directions are on the Fureaikan Shirafuji page.
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Q&A
- How do you pronounce Fureaikan Shirafuji (Former Maruta Clinic) Tsuiji Wall in Japanese?
- Fureaikan Shirafuji (Kyū Maruta Iin) Tsuijibei. The word for this type of earthen wall is read tsuijibei.
- When was the Fureaikan Shirafuji Tsuiji Wall built?
- Around 1875, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was registered on September 19, 2003.
- How long is the Fureaikan Shirafuji Tsuiji Wall?
- It is an earthen wall 20 metres long with a small tiled roof. It flanks the gatehouse, meets the storehouse to the north and turns around the gate's southwest corner to the south.
- What should I look for on the Fureaikan Shirafuji Tsuiji Wall?
- The base of rounded boulders capped with dressed stone and the polished plaster skirting above it. On the inside, buttress posts carry a roof over storage space.
- Can visitors see the Fureaikan Shirafuji Tsuiji Wall?
- Yes, from the street. The inner side lies within the Shirafuji rental inn and is for overnight guests only.
Basic Information
| Name | Fureaikan Shirafuji (Former Maruta Clinic) Tsuiji Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 32-1 Oaza Suzaka, Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/9/19 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Earthen wall with tile roof; length 20 metres |
| Owner | Suzaka City |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Fureaikan Shirafuji (Former Maruta Clinic) Tsuiji Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003543
Last verified: 2026.09.26
