What Is the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall?
The Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall (旧石橋家住宅庭塀, Kyū Ishibashi-ke Jūtaku Niwa-bei) is an early Meiji-period wall built between 1868 and 1882 in Serimachi, Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2013. It is a timber wall with a tiled roof, 9.7 metres long in total, and it has a small wicket door (Kugurido).
It runs from the northeast corner of the Middle Main House to the east face of the South Storehouse behind it, bending once on the way. Only the North Wall is shorter among the compound's four walls, and as the name says, this one marks off the garden.
Why It Was Registered: Two Kinds of Wall in One
The Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall changes character halfway along. The northern section, 2.5 to 3 metres high, is a solid wall under a gabled pantile roof (Kirizuma-zukuri, Sangawara-buki), with wooden panelling (Koshiita) at the base and Shikkui plaster above. It is the same pairing of boards and white plaster seen on the neighbouring South Storehouse.
The southern section switches to the yamato-bei style, a lighter kind of fence built mainly of boards. A wicket door opens in its centre, and there is a transom (Ranma) of crossed diagonal bars, the pattern called tasuki. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the wall for its neat, refined design.
It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation.
The Wicket Door and Crossed Transom of the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall
The division of labour is what makes the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall worth a close look. The northern half matches the heavy plastered look of the storehouses. The southern half is the part a person can actually pass through.
A kugurido is a low door you stoop to go through, and here it sits in the middle of the southern section. The crossed bars of the transom leave the upper part open instead of closing it with solid wall, so the fence looks light even though it is roofed.
The Middle Main House and the South Storehouse, the two buildings the wall links, both date from the early Meiji period. The Garden Wall belongs to the same period.
Seeing the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall
The Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall stands behind the Middle Main House, and the grounds are not open to the public. From the street it is hidden by the main houses, so there is little chance to see the wicket door or the transom in person.
The photo gallery on the Agency for Cultural Affairs database page includes exterior views. Directions and viewing conditions for the whole compound are on the Former Ishibashi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall built and registered?
- It dates from the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 21, 2013.
- Where is the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall?
- It links the northeast corner of the Middle Main House with the east face of the South Storehouse, bending once along its 9.7-metre length.
- How do the two halves of the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall differ?
- The northern half is 2.5 to 3 metres high, roofed with pantiles and finished with wooden panelling and plaster. The southern half is a yamato-bei fence with a wicket door in the middle and a crossed-bar transom.
- What is the tasuki transom on the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall?
- It is a transom filled with diagonal bars that cross each other. On this wall it is fitted in the southern section, together with the wicket door.
- Can I see the Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall?
- The grounds are closed, and the wall stands behind the main houses, so it is hard to see from the street. Photographs on the national database show the exterior.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall (旧石橋家住宅庭塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 11 Serimachi and others, Hikone, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2013 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, total length 9.7 metres, with wicket door (north section 2.5 to 3 metres high) |
| Owner | Hikone City |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside the grounds; exterior hard to see) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ishibashi Family Residence Garden Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009635
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ishibashi Family Residence Middle Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009628
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ishibashi Family Residence South Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009633
- Hikone Tourism Association: Former Ishibashi Family Residence Middle Main House
- https://www.hikoneshi.com/sightseeing/article/kyu-ishibashike-jutaku-nakashuoku
Last verified: 2026.09.28
