What is the Omori Family Residence Hinpun?
The Omori Family Residence Hinpun (大盛家住宅ヒンプン, Ōmori-ke Jūtaku Hinpun) is a freestanding stone screen wall built in 1915 at the Omori homestead in Kohama, Taketomi Town, Okinawa Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on August 3, 2006.
It stands just inside the front gateway, about 4 meters in front of the main house. The wall is 6 meters long and 1.6 meters high, 0.6 meters thick at the base, with a registered area of 3.6 square meters.
Why It Was Registered
The hinpun was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Omori hinpun as a structure the homestead could not do without.
A hinpun is a screen placed between the gate and the house so that nobody in the lane can see straight into the home. Anyone entering has to walk around one end of it, so the wall also sets the route by which people approach the house.
What to Look For: Fitted Stone and a Roof-Shaped Top
The wall is built of cut coral limestone, laid dry in the Karazumi manner with no mortar. The blocks were shaped with great precision so that they lock together on their own.
Look at the top. It is finished in the form of a small roof, with stones of half-round section set along it to stand for the ridge. Seen from one end, the Omori Family Residence Hinpun has the outline of a wall wearing its own little roof.
The boundary wall around the yard is also coral limestone, but it is made of rounded stones laid as Nozurazumi rubble. From the front gateway you see the rough outer wall and the smooth, closely fitted hinpun at the same time, and the difference in finish is striking.
Visiting the Hinpun
Because the Omori Family Residence Hinpun stands directly behind the front gateway, its face can be seen from the lane in front of the gate.
The yard is a private home and cannot be entered. Please do not step into the gateway or stop there for long to take pictures.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okinawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Omori Family Residence Hinpun
- [ Churaumi Aquarium & Shuri Castle Okinawa Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Omori Family Residence Hinpun built and registered?
- It was built in 1915 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006.
- How big is the Omori Family Residence Hinpun?
- It is 6 meters long, 1.6 meters high and 0.6 meters thick at the base, with a registered area of 3.6 square meters.
- What is the Omori hinpun made of?
- Cut coral limestone, precisely shaped and laid dry without mortar.
- What does the top of the Omori Family Residence Hinpun look like?
- It is shaped like a roof, with half-round stones along the top representing the ridge.
- Can I see the Omori Family Residence Hinpun from the road?
- Yes. It stands just behind the front gateway, so its face is visible from the lane outside. The yard itself is closed.
Basic Information
| Name | Omori Family Residence Hinpun (大盛家住宅ヒンプン) |
|---|---|
| Location | 15 Kohama, Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 3, 2006 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, area 3.6 square meters (length 6 meters, height 1.6 meters) |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Viewable from the lane in front of the gate (grounds not open) |
References
- Omori Family Residence Hinpun (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005698
- Omori Family Residence Hinpun (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/181916
Last verified: 2026.09.29
