What Is the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall?
The Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall (旧塩屋出店外塀, Kyū-Shioya Demise Sotobei) is a tiled timber wall built around 1897 in Chizu-juku, the old post town of Chizu, Yazu District, Tottori Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 December 2000. It runs for 9.9 meters.
It marks the north edge of the Former Shioya Demise property, a branch household of the Ishitani merchant family, and dates from the same years as the main house. In the agency's classification it counts not as a building but as an "other structure."
From the Corner of the House to the North Boundary
The Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall starts at the northwest corner of the main house. It continues along the street to the northwest corner of the lot, then turns east and closes off the north side of the property.
A length of 9.9 meters is not much for a merchant's lot, and the wall was never meant to enclose the whole property. Its job is the short stretch that carries the street front past the end of the house and turns it back into the lot.
A Gate Front and a Half-Timbered Earthen Wall
The Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall changes character as it goes. The part along the street is built like an Udekimon, a gate type in which Udeki brackets project from the posts to carry the eaves, and it has an opening in the middle.
Around the corner, along the north edge, it becomes an earthen wall with a small tiled roof, built in the Shinkabe manner with the timber posts left visible in the wall face. This stretch stands opposite the north gable end of the main house.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points out that the space between this wall and the gable end forms a guest entrance. Separate from the main door on the street, the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall creates a second, more private way in for visitors.
Why It Was Registered
Together with the main house, the Western-style building and the barn, the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall was registered as a model of architectural form. Its registration number is 31-0040.
It is a small structure, but it has two faces: a gated front that lines up with the main house along the street, and a quiet earthen wall on the north side that frames the guest entrance. That double role is what makes the wall worth a closer look.
Seeing the Outer Wall
The street side of the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall can be seen freely from the public road. Facing the front of the main house, look to the left, at the north corner, where the wall begins.
Visitors heading to the Katsumi Nishikawa Film Museum in the Western-style building are directed to an entrance to the left of, that is north of, the main house door, and through the garden. Once inside, take a moment where the earthen wall and the north gable of the house face each other. This is the spot the agency calls the guest entrance.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall built?
- Around 1897, according to the national database, the same period as the main house.
- How long is the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall?
- It is 9.9 meters long. It runs from the northwest corner of the main house to the corner of the lot, then turns east along the north boundary.
- What does the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall look like?
- On the street it is built like a bracketed udekimon gate with an opening in the middle; on the north side it is a half-timbered earthen wall with a tiled coping.
- What is the guest entrance at the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall?
- It is the entry formed between the north earthen wall and the gable end of the main house, which the agency highlights as a feature of the wall.
- Can I see the Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall?
- The street side is visible from the public road. The inner side can be seen during opening hours on the way through the garden to the film museum.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall (旧塩屋出店外塀, Kyū-Shioya Demise Sotobei) |
|---|---|
| Location | 545 Chizu, Chizu Town, Yazu District, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), Registration No. 31-0040 |
| Year Designated | 2000 (registered 4 December 2000) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, length 9.9 meters |
| Owner | Chizu Town |
| Public Access | Street side visible from the public road; inner side during opening hours |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002092
- Former Shioya Demise Outer Wall (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/167402
- Around Chizu-juku (Shioya Demise and Katsumi Nishikawa Film Museum, in Japanese)
- https://shioyademise.okoshi-yasu.com/tizusyuku.html
- Katsumi Nishikawa Film Museum (Shioya Demise and Katsumi Nishikawa Film Museum, in Japanese)
- https://shioyademise.okoshi-yasu.com/film.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28
