What Is the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall?
The Tsuji Honten Garden Wall (辻本店庭塀, Tsuji Honten Niwabei) is an early-Showa-period (1926 to 1945) wall enclosing the north and east sides of the garden beside the rear parlor at the Tsuji Honten sake brewery in Katsuyama, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2014. It is the most recent of the brewery's nine registered structures.
The Tsuji Honten Garden Wall turns at a right angle from the north end of the street wall beside the front gate and runs on until it meets the East Storehouse, which is not registered. It measures 47 meters; together with the 25 meters of wall flanking the gate, most of the northern edge of the property is walled.
Traditional Wall, Modern Materials
The Tsuji Honten Garden Wall stands on a concrete footing. Above it the wall is built in the Shinkabe manner, with exposed posts and white plaster, and its base is clad in vertical boards. The plastered post-and-panel wall is a traditional type, but the footing is concrete rather than stone, as one would expect of the early Showa years.
The roofing changes from one side to the other. The east run is covered in cement tiles and the north run in fired Sangawara-buki pan tiles. Cement tiles, pressed from cement in moulds, are generally said to have spread widely in Japan from around the start of the Showa era. Fired clay and cement tiles side by side on one wall are the detail that most sets this structure apart.
Why the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall Was Registered
The Tsuji Honten Garden Wall was registered for contributing to the historic landscape. It divides the garden from the yard path that leads to the East Storehouse, so a single wall separates the working route of the brewery from the garden of the guest wing. That is the kind of arrangement a sake house needed, with trade and family life sharing one plot.
Seen with the rear parlor, the front gate and wall and the household shrine, the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall is the last piece of the garden enclosure. The difference in dates suggests a guest setting laid out in the mid-Meiji period and closed off again with new walls in the early Showa period.
Visiting the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall
The Tsuji Honten Garden Wall stands deep inside the property, on the north and east sides of the rear parlor's garden, and is not open to the public. Most of it cannot be seen from the street.
From the road you can see only as far as the north end of the front gate wall, where the garden wall turns and begins. The site is private, so please do not enter. Directions and visiting conditions for the whole site are on the Tsuji Honten Sake Brewery page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Tsuji Honten Garden Wall
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall built?
- It dates to the early Showa period (1926 to 1945), making it the newest of the brewery's registered structures. It was registered in 2014.
- How long is the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall?
- It runs 47 meters, turning at a right angle from the street wall and continuing to the East Storehouse.
- Is the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall roofed with the same tiles throughout?
- No. The east run has cement tiles and the north run has fired pan tiles.
- What does the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall separate?
- It divides the garden east of the rear parlor from the yard path leading to the East Storehouse.
- Can I see the Tsuji Honten Garden Wall?
- It is inside the private property and not open to the public; very little of it can be seen from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Tsuji Honten Garden Wall (辻本店庭塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 107 Jogai, Katsuyama, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, and other locations |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2014 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Length 47 m |
| Owner | Tsuji Honten Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside the property, barely visible from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Tsuji Honten Garden Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010058
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tsuji Honten Garden Wall (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/241825
Last verified: 2026.09.24
