What Is the Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun?
The Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun (沖縄市立ふるさと園旧久場家住宅ヒンプン) is a stone screen wall built in 1924 that now stands inside the Okinawa Zoo & Museum in Goya, Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture; it was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 25, 2011.
The wall came from the Kuba family homestead and was moved to Furusatoen in 1986, a year after the family's main house. Following the traditional Okinawan layout, it stands directly in line with the gateway, in front of the house. Its registration number is 47-0077 and its owner is Okinawa City.
What a Hinpun Does
A hinpun is a freestanding wall set between the gateway and the main house of an Okinawan home. According to Ocean Expo Park, it screened the house from people on the street, was believed to keep evil spirits from entering, and marked the line between the household and the outside world. It is often said to be an Okinawan adaptation of a type of Chinese screen gate.
Anyone entering has to step around the wall, to the left or the right, to reach the front yard. The Kuba family hinpun at Okinawa City Furusatoen sits exactly in the line of sight between the gateway and the house, so the rooms cannot be seen from outside.
Why the Kuba Family Hinpun Is Registered
The Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun was registered as a model of form, one of the criteria for Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a typical stone hinpun whose large cut blocks give it a weighty presence.
The stone is awaishi, a porous local stone quarried at Minatogawa, cut into fairly large blocks and laid in four courses with continuous horizontal joints, the coursed technique called Nunozumi. The wall is 1.7 meters high and 4.6 meters wide, yet only about 20 centimeters thick. It is roughly head-high, thin as a slab, and still stands on four courses of big stones alone.
Highlights and Visiting the Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun
Start by standing squarely in the gateway and noticing how much of the house the 1.7-meter face of stone hides. Then follow the wall around: the yard and the front of the main house open up all at once. Walking that route shows how the wall steered every visitor who came into the homestead.
Up close, look at the horizontal joints running through each of the four courses and at the size of the individual blocks; from the end of the wall you can see just how thin it is. The hinpun stands in the open, so anyone admitted to the Okinawa Zoo & Museum can see it during opening hours. The official guidance does not mention photography rules, so follow any signs on site. Admission and transport details are on the Okinawa City Furusatoen page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okinawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun
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Q&A
- What is the Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun?
- It is a stone screen wall standing between the gateway and the main house of the homestead. It was built in 1924 and moved to Furusatoen at the Okinawa Zoo & Museum in 1986.
- What stone is the Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun made of?
- It is built of awaishi from Minatogawa, cut into large blocks and laid in four level courses.
- How big is the Kuba family hinpun at Okinawa City Furusatoen?
- It is 1.7 meters high, 4.6 meters wide and 20 centimeters thick.
- When did the Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on July 25, 2011, together with the main house and the Hirata family machifuru, under the criterion of serving as a model of form.
- Can visitors see the Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun freely?
- Yes. It stands outdoors and can be seen during Okinawa Zoo & Museum opening hours. Admission is 1,000 yen for ages 16 and over, 500 yen for students and free for ages 15 and under.
Basic Information
| Name | Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-831 Goya, Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture (inside Okinawa Zoo & Museum) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2011 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Height 1.7 m, width 4.6 m, thickness 20 cm |
| Owner | Okinawa City |
| Public Access | Viewable during Okinawa Zoo & Museum opening hours (admission required) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008801
- Cultural Heritage Online: Okinawa City Furusatoen Former Kuba Family Residence Hinpun (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/213842
- Ocean Expo Park: What Makes Okinawan Houses Different (Japanese)
- https://oki-park.jp/kaiyohaku/inst/80/83
- Okinawa Zoo & Museum: Hours and Admission (Japanese)
- https://www.okzm.jp/fee/
Last verified: 2026.10.03
