About the Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence
The Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence (南家住宅木塀, Minami-ke Jūtaku Mokubei) is a roofed timber wall built in 1912 that runs west from the gatehouse along the northern edge of the Minami homestead in Oaza Ikenouchi, Gose City, Nara Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 14, 2021. It is 24 meters long and marks the northern boundary of the plot along the road.
Built in the same year as the gatehouse, it forms the western half of the estate's street front.
Why the Wooden Fence Was Registered
The Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with creating the look of the property's northern side, and the council report treats the gatehouse and the long fence to its west as one street front.
Where the gatehouse marks the way in, the Minami fence carries the line of the estate along the road and shows passers-by how far the property extends.
A Cut-stone Base and Bracketed Eaves
The Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence stands on a base of dressed stone laid in level courses, the Nunozumi method. Its posts are set every half Ken, about 90 centimeters apart, and the spaces between them are filled with wall.
The roof is laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles. Udeki brackets project from the posts to carry the eave beam, and the tiled roof rests on that. For a fence, it is framed much like a small building.
Boarding Only on the Street Side, and a Jog in the Middle
The walls are Shinkabe, with the posts exposed, and finished in white Shikkui lime plaster. Vertical boarding on the lower part of the wall appears only on the north face, the side toward the road; the inner face is left as plain plaster. The effort went into the side that people see.
About halfway along its length, the east-west fence steps slightly out to the north instead of running in one straight line. The photograph in the national database labels this stretch the gankō-bu, the staggered section, after the zigzag line of a flight of geese.
Visiting the Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence
Because the Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence faces the road, its north side can be seen from the public street. The stone base, the bracketed eaves, and the boarded lower wall are all visible from there, and the jog in the middle is easiest to read if you walk along the fence.
Behind the fence is private property that cannot be entered. Please take photographs from the public road and keep clear of passing traffic.
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Q&A
- When was the Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence built?
- It was built in 1912, the same year as the gatehouse.
- Why is the Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on October 14, 2021, for contributing to the historic landscape, as the wall that shapes the northern street front of the estate.
- How long is the Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence?
- It is 24 meters long and continues west from the gatehouse.
- Is the Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence boarded on both sides?
- No. The vertical boarding on the lower wall is only on the north face toward the road; the inner face is plain plaster.
- Can visitors see the Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence?
- Its north side can be seen from the public road. The property behind it is private and cannot be entered.
Basic Information
| Name | Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence |
|---|---|
| Location | 923-1 Oaza Ikenouchi, Gose City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on October 14, 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Length 24 meters |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the public road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014078
- Cultural Heritage Online: Minami Family Residence Wooden Fence (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/543118
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Council for Cultural Affairs report of July 16, 2021, list of registered structures (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/93246101_01.pdf
- Gose City: Registered Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.gose.nara.jp/0000001353.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04
