What Is the Ogino Family Residence South Wall?
The Ogino Family Residence South Wall (荻野家住宅南塀, Ogino-ke Jūtaku Minamibei) is a timber wall built around 1950 along the southern edge of the Ogino Family Residence in Tori 3-chome, Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006. It runs east to west on the boundary with the JR Ryomo Line railway land and closes off the south side of the compound.
The wall is made of vertical boards with narrow battens nailed over the joints, under a sheet-metal coping roof. It is 21 meters long and 2.4 meters high. Of the four registered structures at the Ogino Family Residence it is the youngest, put up roughly 60 years after the Meiji house and storehouse.
A Latticed Strip and Buttresses on the Garden Side
The detail to look for on the Ogino Family Residence South Wall is the Ranma, the open band near the top. A single horizontal Kumiko lattice bar runs along it, drawing a fine line above the solid boards. On a wall 2.4 meters high, that one line keeps the long run of planking from looking blank.
A tall board wall catches the wind. The Ogino wall is braced on the garden side by supports set every 2 ken or 3 ken, holding it up from inside the property. The railway side shows a flat face of boards, while the bracing stays inside the compound.
Why the South Wall Was Registered
The Ogino Family Residence South Wall was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as an element that gives order to the southern face of the property.
Because the plot lies between a highway and a railway, the Ogino Family Residence has two outward faces. If the front gate is the face toward the highway, the south wall is the face toward the tracks. It is a post-war structure, but it finishes the household's frontage on that side, and that is what the registration recognizes.
Sources differ on its date. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives about 1950, while Ashikaga City describes the walls as dating from the 1955 to 1964 period. This page follows the Agency.
Seeing the Ogino Family Residence South Wall
The Ogino Family Residence South Wall belongs to a private home and cannot be viewed from inside the grounds. It stands at the far south end of the plot, facing the railway.
The land south of the wall is railway property and is off limits. We have not confirmed whether any public road gives a close view of the wall's outer face. From the old highway the main house and front gate stand in front, and the south wall lies at the back of the plot.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ogino Family Residence South Wall
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Q&A
- When was the Ogino Family Residence South Wall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to about 1950, while Ashikaga City places it in the 1955 to 1964 period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006.
- How big is the Ogino Family Residence South Wall?
- It is a timber board wall 21 meters long and 2.4 meters high, with a sheet-metal roof.
- Where is the Ogino Family Residence South Wall?
- It runs east to west along the southern edge of the plot, on the boundary with the JR Ryomo Line railway land.
- What details should I notice on the Ogino Family Residence South Wall?
- Look for the battened vertical boards and the single horizontal lattice bar in the band near the top. On the garden side it is braced every 2 ken or 3 ken.
- Can I see the Ogino Family Residence South Wall?
- Not from inside the grounds. The land to the south is railway property, and we have not confirmed a public spot for a close view.
Basic Information
| Name | Ogino Family Residence South Wall |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-3545 Tori, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 3, 2006 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 21 meters long, 2.4 meters high |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (stands at the south end of the plot, facing the railway) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Ogino Family Residence South Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005558
- Ashikaga City: Ogino Family Residence, Main House, Inner Storehouse, Front Gate and South Wall (Japanese)
- https://www.city.ashikaga.tochigi.jp/education/000029/000169/000627/p000811.html
- Ashikaga City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) (Japanese)
- https://www.city.ashikaga.tochigi.jp/education/000029/000169/000627/p001307.html
Last verified: 2026.10.03
