About the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall
The Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall (旧金岡家住宅塀, Kyū-Kanaoka-ke Jūtaku Hei) is a 77.1-metre roofed wall with a tiled coping, built in the Taishō era (1912 to 1925) at 1-5-24 Shinjocho, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1998.
The wall is timber-framed, stands on a stone base and has boarding along its lower part. Roofed along its whole length, it wraps the garden and links the gate with the main house, drawing the outline of the estate.
Showing the Standing of the House
The Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall was registered as contributing to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to its careful construction, the stone base and boarded skirting, and sees it, with the gate, as evidence of the family's former prosperity.
At 77.1 metres it is the longest of the six registered structures. Carrying a tiled roof that far, and finishing the boarding with care all the way, was not cheap. It was a wall to be seen, and a wall that kept the garden and reception rooms out of sight of the street.
Where the Wall Runs
According to the Agency, the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall runs from the north boundary of the plot round to the west boundary, enclosing the garden. Its "west side" meets the gate and extends either side of it, and its southern end joins the main house.
Yet the same Agency notes say that the gate and the main house face the road on the east. The parts of the wall that meet them should therefore be on the street side, so which face the Agency means by "west" cannot be settled from the documents alone. It is worth tracing the line of the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall on site.
Stone Base and Board Skirting
Read the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall from the ground up: a stone base, then a band of boarding, then the wall and the tiled roof, each material doing its own job.
Hokuriku is a wet region, and the foot of a wall is where it decays first. Lifting the wall on stone and sheathing the splash zone in timber makes the wall look neat and helps it last.
Visiting the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall
The stretch of the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall beside the gate can be seen from the street. Its garden side comes into view from the reception rooms during a visit to the Kanaoka-tei museum.
Official sources do not say whether visitors may step down into the garden, so ask at the reception. Opening days, admission and directions are on the Former Kanaoka Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the Taishō era (1912 to 1925).
- How long is the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall?
- It is 77.1 metres long: a timber-framed wall with a tiled roof, standing on a stone base with boarding along its lower part.
- Why is the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 1998 as contributing to the historic landscape, for its careful construction and, together with the gate, as a sign of the family's prosperity.
- Where does the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall run?
- The Agency says it encloses the garden from the north to the west boundary, extends either side of the gate and meets the main house at its southern end. Its compass directions are inconsistent, so check on site.
- Can I see the Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall?
- The stretch by the gate is visible from the street, and the garden side can be seen from the reception rooms inside Kanaoka-tei.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kanaoka Family Residence Wall (旧金岡家住宅塀) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-5-24 Shinjocho, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 1998 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | 77.1 m long (wooden, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Toyama Prefecture |
| Public Access | Partly visible from the street (estate open with admission as Kanaoka-tei) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 旧金岡家住宅塀
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000584
- Cultural Heritage Online (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 旧金岡家住宅塀
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/113464
- Toyama Cultural Heritage (Toyama Prefecture): 旧金岡家住宅塀
- https://toyama-bunkaisan.jp/search/2368/
Last verified: 2026.09.30
