What Is the Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall?
The Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall (旧石橋家住宅西塀, Kyū Ishibashi-ke Jūtaku Nishi-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, 3.4 metres high and 28 metres long.
It wraps around the northwest corner of the plot, turning at a right angle (Kaneore). At 28 metres it is the longest of the compound's four walls, 7 metres longer than the South Wall. The West Storehouse, also early Meiji, stands in the same corner, and the West Wall forms the outer edge of that part of the compound.
Why It Was Registered: The Back of the House
The Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall is 3.4 metres tall and capped with a gabled pantile roof (Kirizuma-zukuri, Sangawara-buki). The main houses and the South Wall make up the public front of the compound; this wall shapes its rear.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs treats it as the element that gives the back of the property its historic character. It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation.
Different Finishes Inside and Out on the Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall
The most telling thing about the Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall is that its two faces are finished differently.
On the outward face, vertical boarding (Tateita-bari) runs high up the base, and the band of wall above is coated in white Shikkui plaster. On the inward face, the wooden panelling (Koshiita) stops lower down and the wall is left at the nakanuri stage, the intermediate coat of an earthen wall, with no plaster top coat over it.
The side that passers-by could see got the fuller treatment, and the side facing into the compound was kept plain. It is one wall, finished with two audiences in mind.
Seeing the Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall
The Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall stands at the back of the plot, in the northwest corner, and the grounds are closed. The main houses block it from the street, and the plain inner face can only be seen from inside the compound.
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 West 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.
- How big is the Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall?
- It is 3.4 metres high and 28 metres long, the longest of the compound's four walls.
- How do the outer and inner faces of the Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall differ?
- The outer face has tall vertical boarding and a white plaster band above it. The inner face has low wooden panelling, and the wall is left at the intermediate earthen coat.
- Where is the Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall?
- It encloses the northwest corner of the plot, turning at a right angle. The West Storehouse stands in the same corner.
- Can I see the Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall?
- The grounds are closed, and the wall stands at the back of the plot, so it is hard to see from the street. Photographs on the national database show the exterior.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Wall (旧石橋家住宅西塀) |
|---|---|
| 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, 3.4 metres high, length 28 metres |
| 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 West Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009636
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ishibashi Family Residence West Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009632
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ishibashi Family Residence South Wall
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009634
- 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
