Okahashi Family Residence East Gate and Earthen Wall

About the Okahashi Family Residence East Gate and Earthen Wall

The Okahashi Family Residence East Gate and Earthen Wall (岡橋家住宅東門及び土塀, Okahashi-ke Jūtaku Higashimon oyobi Dobei) is an early Showa-period gate and boundary wall enclosing the east and north sides of the Okahashi estate in Ozukucho, Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 August 2020 (No. 29-0317).

The east gate is a stone-built gateway in the middle of the east side, 2.6 metres wide. From it the earthen wall runs north and south; at the northeast corner it turns west and continues to the western end of the north side, 119 metres in all.

The registered address reads "586-1 and others", a reminder that the wall is too long to fit within a single plot number.

Why the gate and wall were registered

The Okahashi Family Residence East Gate and Earthen Wall was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with giving dignity to the rear of the estate as seen from outside.

The formal front of the Okahashi estate is the nagayamon gatehouse on the south side. East and north are, in effect, the back. Yet the wall that encloses them is roofed in heavy Hongawarabuki tiling, while the gatehouse at the front uses lighter Sangawara-buki pantiles. The back wall is roofed in the grander material.

Carrying a wall of the same standard for 119 metres around the rear keeps the whole outline of the estate consistent. With the east rice storehouse on the east side and the south rice storehouse at the southeast corner, this wall shapes most of what a passer-by sees of the Okahashi Family Residence.

What to look for on the gate and wall

The east gate has stone posts bridged by an arched iron pipe, from which a pair of doors is hung. There is no tiled roof over it, as a traditional Japanese gate would have. Just posts and an iron arch: a lighter, modern design brought into a landowner's estate in the early Showa years.

The wall is plastered in Shikkui right up into the eaves, with vertical boarding (Tateita-bari) along its base. The top of the white wall sits in the shadow of the eaves and the boards edge its foot. The pattern holds at nearly the same height for the whole run, so the line carries unbroken around the corner.

The mix of stone and iron at the gate, set against the traditional wall on either side, can be compared within this single registration.

Visiting the gate and wall

The Okahashi Family Residence East Gate and Earthen Wall forms the perimeter, and the gate and the east stretch of wall can be seen from the lane on the east side. How much of the north stretch is visible from outside has not been confirmed. The gate is kept closed and the grounds cannot be entered.

The arch reads best from straight in front of the gate. Walking the lane north to south, you can follow the east rice storehouse and the wall as one continuous frontage. The lane is narrow and residential, so keep an eye on traffic. Directions to the estate are on the Okahashi Family Residence page.