What Is the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall?
The Fuwa Family Residence High Wall (不破家住宅高塀, Fuwa-ke Jūtaku Takabei) is the roofed wall enclosing the back garden of the Fuwa family estate on the old Nakasendō highway in Takamiya-cho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture; built in the early Showa period, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 November 2016. It is a timber wall with a tiled roof, 20 meters long.
It starts at the northeast corner of the main house, turns a right angle in a Kaneore bend and runs on to the storehouse. Main house, wall and storehouse together close off the back garden on its north and east sides.
Why It Was Registered
The Fuwa Family Residence High Wall was registered under number 25-0383 for its contribution to the historic landscape, in the same 85th round of registrations as the main house, storehouse, and gate and wall.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its part in the townscape of old Takamiya-juku. Where the gate and wall present the estate to the street, the high wall draws its outline at the back. Added in the early Showa period, it links the main house of 1857 with the storehouse of 1853.
Rising from a Waterway Embankment
Along the north edge of the plot, the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall stands on the Ishigaki stone embankment of a small waterway. The wall itself is 3.1 meters high here, and with the embankment beneath it, it would appear taller still from the water side.
After the corner, the east section has its ridge dropped a step and stays lower. High where it faces the waterway, lower as it runs toward the storehouse: the change of height along its length is what distinguishes the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall.
Bracketed Eaves, Boards and Plaster
On both sections the eaves rest on Udeki brackets projecting from the posts, and the roof is a gable in the Kirizuma-zukuri form laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles. It is a wall roofed as carefully as a small building.
The lower part, up to about waist height, is faced with vertical boards, and the upper part is finished in Shikkui lime plaster. The boards take the splash of rain at the base, and the plaster above keeps the face light. The storehouse next to it is plastered all the way to the eaves; the high wall divides boards and plaster between bottom and top.
Visiting the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall
The Fuwa Family Residence High Wall is at the back of the estate and is hidden behind the main house when seen from the old Nakasendō. The grounds are a private home and cannot be entered.
The north side of the plot faces a waterway, but we could not confirm that any walkway there gives a view of the wall. Viewing is limited to public roads, so please take care not to stray onto private land nearby.
Q&A
- When was the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall built?
- The national database dates it to the early Showa period, between 1926 and 1945, without giving an exact year.
- When did the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 29 November 2016, as registration number 25-0383, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- How high and how long is the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall?
- It is 20 meters long. The north section, on the stone embankment of a waterway, is 3.1 meters high; the east section is lower.
- Where does the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall run?
- From the northeast corner of the main house, around a right-angle bend, to the storehouse, enclosing the back garden.
- Can I see the Fuwa Family Residence High Wall?
- It is at the back of a private property and not open to the public. From the old Nakasendō it is largely hidden by the main house.
Basic Information
| Name | Fuwa Family Residence High Wall (不破家住宅高塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2351 Takamiya-cho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 25-0383 |
| Year Designated | Registered 29 November 2016 |
| Quantity | 1 item |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, 20 meters long, north section 3.1 meters high |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Closed to the public (largely hidden from the old Nakasendō) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Fuwa Family Residence High Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011334
- Cultural Heritage Online: Fuwa Family Residence High Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/245451
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Fuwa Family Residence Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011332
Last verified: 2026.09.28
