Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework at a Glance
The Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework (旧相川税務署石積, Kyū Aikawa Zeimusho Ishizumi) is an early-Showa stone wall, 17 meters long, that edges the grounds of the old tax office on Nagasaka in Aikawa, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2009. Sado City dates its construction to the early Showa period, the same era as the main building of 1931.
From the gate it runs 9.8 meters down along Nagasaka, turns at the southwest corner of the plot, and continues 7.6 meters east. The side facing the lane and the side facing the neighbors are built from different stone in entirely different ways.
Why the Stonework Was Registered
Two things set the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework apart: how it handles the slope, and where its stone came from. The lane face is built of spherulitic rhyolite quarried at Shimo-Aikawa, laid in kirikomi-hagi masonry, with blocks dressed to fit tightly, and its height steps from 0.2 meters up to 2.6 meters as the lane falls away. This is the public face, and it got the careful work.
The south face, on the boundary with the neighboring plot, is rough fieldstone walling. Along with local rhyolite and basalt, its builders used mine waste rock, the spoil left over from digging for gold and silver. In a town that existed because of the Sado mines, that choice of material is the detail to remember.
It was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape: a stone base for the streetscape of the slope, protected on the same footing as the buildings above it.
What to Look For at the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework
Walk down Nagasaka and watch the wall grow. At the uphill end it is barely ankle height; by the lower end it has risen to 2.6 meters. The wall is doing the work of keeping the plot level while the lane slopes past it.
Then look at the stone itself. Spherulitic rhyolite contains small round clusters of crystals scattered through the rock, and on the dressed faces you can sometimes pick out those spots up close.
At the corner, the fitted lane-side masonry meets the rough south face. Find the point where one technique hands over to the other and you can see how the builders spent their effort on the side people would look at.
Seeing the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework
The 9.8-meter lane-side stretch of the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework borders the public road, so you can follow its whole length on foot and examine the stone at arm's length. Please do not touch or climb it. The south face lies on the boundary with the neighboring property, so only the part near the corner can be seen from the road.
Q&A
- How long and how high is the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework?
- It is 17 meters long in total: 9.8 meters along Nagasaka and 7.6 meters running east from the southwest corner. Its height varies from 0.2 to 2.6 meters with the slope.
- What stone is the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework made of?
- The lane side uses spherulitic rhyolite from Shimo-Aikawa. The south face mixes local rhyolite and basalt with waste rock from the mines.
- Is the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework built the same way on every side?
- No. The lane side is fitted masonry of dressed blocks, while the south boundary face is rough fieldstone walling.
- When was the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 7, 2009, under number 15-0322.
- Can anyone view the Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework?
- Yes, the lane-side section can be seen from the public road. The south face is on a property boundary, so views of it are limited.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework |
|---|---|
| Location | 16 Aikawa Nagasaka-machi, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 7, 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone masonry, 17 m long (9.8 m along Nagasaka, 7.6 m on the south side), 0.2 to 2.6 m high |
| Owner | Sado City |
| Public Access | Lane-side section viewable from the street |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Aikawa Tax Office Stonework
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007746
- Sado City: Former Aikawa Tax Office (Registered Tangible Cultural Property, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.sado.niigata.jp/site/bunkazai/4966.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28
