What the Kodama Family Residence North Wall Is
The Kodama Family Residence North Wall is a timber-framed earthen wall of about 1910 in the Wa district of Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2000 under the number 20-0088.
It closes the northwestern edge of the compound. Starting from the north gable of the west wall, it runs 6 bays before turning east to meet the rear entrance at the southwest corner of the silkworm rearing house. A pantiled gable roof covers it, and the posts stay visible in the plastered face.
Its length is given two ways in the national register: 37 metres in the structural description, and 26 bays measured around the turn in the commentary. The difference probably lies in how the corner is counted, so both figures are given here.
Why It Was Registered
The listing criterion is contribution to the historic landscape. There is no elaborate design here, and the register itself calls the wall plain. It was listed because it completes the outline of the compound.
Four of the 12 registered items are walls or stonework. Registering the boundaries as well as the buildings fixed a record of how far the compound extended and where it could be entered.
What to Look For
Count the braces along the outside. An iron stay every 2 bays keeps a long wall from going over in the wind, and because the frame is exposed, the braces line up with the posts behind them.
Look at the base as well. The wall rises from laid stone rather than straight off the ground, which keeps splashing rain away from the earth above.
A rear entrance opens in the northwestern stretch. With the front, west and east gates, the compound had at least four ways in and out, this one serving the fields and bamboo behind.
Visiting the Kodama Family Residence North Wall
The wall forms part of the outer edge, so it can be seen from the lane outside. Walk round to the northwest and the point where it turns east becomes clear.
The inner face belongs to a private garden, seen only on the guided walk offered on café opening days. Photographing from outside is fine.
Directions and viewing conditions for the compound are on the Kodama Family Residence page.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kodama Family Residence North Wall
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Q&A
- When was the Kodama Family Residence North Wall built?
- The national register dates it to about 1910, the late phase that also produced the silkworm rearing house and the east gate.
- How long is the Kodama Family Residence North Wall?
- The structural description gives 37 metres while the commentary gives 26 bays measured around the turn, so the figures differ.
- How is the Kodama Family Residence North Wall built?
- It is a plastered earthen wall with exposed posts under a pantiled gable roof, rising from a stone base with iron braces every 2 bays outside.
- Can visitors see the north wall?
- Yes, from the lane along the outer edge of the compound. The inner face is seen only on guided viewing.
- Why is the north wall registered?
- It was listed for contributing to the historic landscape, closing the northwestern edge and completing the outline of the compound.
Basic Information
| Name | Kodama Family Residence North Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 7785 Oaza Wa, Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2000 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, 37 metres long |
| Owner | Yamatama Limited Company |
| Public Access | On the outer edge of the compound; visible from outside |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Kodama Family Residence North Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001816
- Tomi City: Kodama Family Residence
- https://www.city.tomi.nagano.jp/category/kenzobutsu/160195.html
Last verified: 2026.09.17
