About the Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall
The Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall (旧新井家住宅石垣, Kyū Arai-ke Jūtaku Ishigaki) is a rubble-stone retaining wall built in the mid-Meiji period (1883 to 1897) around the estate of the Arai family, village headmen of Komahongo, in Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014. It runs for 62 meters and rises to 2.8 meters at its highest point.
The wall follows the southern edge of the estate and then turns a right angle to run along the east side of the barn. Hidaka City describes it as a long stretch of stonework along the road and counts it among the most striking features of the estate's exterior. It is the only one of the six registered structures that is not a building, and it is counted as a single structure.
Why the Stone Wall Was Registered
The Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall is registration number 11-0140, listed for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises the way it exploits the natural rise of the site and says it gives the estate a strong presence when seen from the Kinchakuda meadow below.
The agency's notes on the barn and the south storehouse also speak of the estate's front and its view from Kinchakuda. The stone wall is what that front stands on. Without it, neither the barn's white walls nor the main house roof would sit high above the road.
Rough Stones and Interlocked Corners
The Arai stone wall is laid in the Nozurazumi manner, using fieldstones that have not been split or dressed. Because no two stones match in size or shape, the face is broken by irregular bumps and shadows, and along 62 meters you can pick out the individual character of each stone.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the sloping face of the wall is given a gentle concave curve rather than a straight batter. Building the face with a slight curve in this way is said to help it resist the pressure of the earth behind.
Where the wall turns its right angle, the corner is laid in the manner of Sangi-zumi, the technique familiar from castle walls in which long stones are set with their long and short sides alternating course by course to lock the corner together. Here the builders kept to rough fieldstones but shaped the corner in something close to that pattern. Stand below the turn of the wall to see how the corner stones are set.
Along the top of the wall run the barn and white plastered walls. Hidaka City's municipal profile highlights this street-facing combination of stone and white wall as one of the estate's eye-catching sights.
Visiting the Stone Wall
Because the Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall lines the road, you can see it from outside even when Komagō Kominka is closed. To take in its full length with the barn perched on top, stand back a little on the south side and look up.
The grounds above the wall can be entered only during opening hours on opening days. The wall itself is a registered cultural property, so admire it from the road and do not climb it or pull at the stones.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- How long is the Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall?
- It is 62 meters long and up to 2.8 meters high, running along the southern edge of the estate before turning a right angle along the east side of the barn.
- When was the Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall built?
- The national database dates it to the mid-Meiji period (1883 to 1897). It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014.
- How is the Arai family stone wall built?
- It is built of undressed fieldstones. The sloping face has a gentle curve, and the corner where the wall turns is laid in a pattern close to the alternating corner technique used on castle walls.
- Why is the Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It makes good use of the raised site and gives the estate a strong presence when seen from the Kinchakuda meadow below.
- Can I see the Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall outside opening hours?
- Yes. It lines the road, so the outside face can be seen at any time. The grounds above it are open only during Komagō Kominka opening hours.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall (旧新井家住宅石垣) |
|---|---|
| Location | 245 Kaminohara, Oaza Komahongo, Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 11-0140 |
| Year Designated | Registered April 25, 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, 62 meters long, maximum height 2.8 meters |
| Owner | Hidaka City |
| Public Access | Open to the public (exterior visible from the road at all times) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009904
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Arai Family Residence Stone Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/232331
- Former Arai Family Residence (Hidaka City Lifelong Learning Division, Japanese)
- https://www.city.hidaka.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/shogaigakushu/bunkazai/rekishibunkazai/1083.html
- Hidaka City Profile (Hidaka City, Japanese, PDF)
- https://www.city.hidaka.lg.jp/material/files/group/3/hidakayouran_mokujijamp.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.28
