A black board fence running west from the gate
The Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence (森田家住宅板塀, Morita-ke Jūtaku Itabei) is an early Showa timber fence in Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo, built sometime between 1926 and 1945 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 24 December 2013, registration number 13-0321.
The Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence starts at the west end of the gate and follows the southern edge of the lot westward, turning a corner on the way. It runs 19 metres and stands about 2.3 metres high, with a small sheet-metal roof and walls painted black. It is the only one of the nine Morita listings made after the Edo period.
Why it was listed
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence as completing the homestead's layout together with the gate and the shop storehouse. Its age matters less than the way it carries the late-Edo frontage along the street.
The dating is not settled. The Agency's database gives early Showa. The family's own description, by contrast, mentions a timber fence thought to date from the same time as the buildings or a little later. The two views leave a wide margin.
Fences weather quickly and are often replaced. Here the unbroken run of black boards beside the gate and shop storehouse still draws the outline of the homestead for anyone passing on the road.
What to look for
The Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence sits on a base of stacked rounded stones, with a timber sill laid on top.
Brackets project from the tops of the posts to carry an eaves beam and a small roof. The walls are vertical boards with narrow battens nailed over the joints and painted black, and the regular spacing of the battens sets up a steady rhythm of shadow along the length of the fence.
The shadows are deepest on a clear afternoon, when light from the west falls across the fence at a low angle.
Visiting
The Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence runs along the southern edge of the property on the Mutsumibashi-dori side and can be seen from the street at any time. Walk west along it from the gate to see where it turns and to look closely at the stone base.
There is no posted rule on photography, and pictures from the street are unproblematic. Behind the fence is a private home. Directions are on the Morita Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- Can you see the Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence?
- Yes. The Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence runs along the south side of the property and can be seen from Mutsumibashi-dori at any time. The land behind it is private, so entering needs the owner's permission.
- When was the Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Showa period, between 1926 and 1945. The family's description suggests it may be as old as the buildings or a little later, so the date is uncertain.
- How long and how tall is the Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence?
- It runs 19 metres and stands about 2.3 metres high.
- How is the Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence built?
- It stands on a base of rounded stones with a timber sill, its roof carried on brackets from the posts; the walls are vertical boards with battens over the joints, painted black.
- When was the Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence registered?
- On 24 December 2013, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property with registration number 13-0321.
Basic Information
| Name | Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence (森田家住宅板塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 633-1 Konaka, Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/12/24 (Heisei 25); registration no. 13-0321 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber; 19 metres long, about 2.3 metres high |
| Owner | Not published (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Morita Family Residence Wooden Fence
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009736
- Kanmi Sabō Misegura Hisamori: cultural properties
- https://www.hisamori.biz/pages/10/
- Akiruno City: designated and registered cultural properties in Akiruno
- https://www.city.akiruno.tokyo.jp/kanko/0000001910.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
