Matsuzaki - town with namako wall buildings

Two most popular design of namako wall

Shihan-joint

Umanori-joint

"Namako kabe" literally means "sea cucumber wall" and is a representative type of fireproof wall for traditional Japanese houses. Japanese houses used to have rather thin mud walls between timbers and the wooden parts remained naked to outside and weak against fire. In case of namako wall timbers are wrapped with thick earthen layers and the surface is covered with charcoal gray square tiles whose joints are protected by thick white plaster. Therefore namako wall is strong against fire and well in insulation. The naming of "namako" wall comes from the recognition that the shape of joint plaster resembles sea cucumber.

Izu is the region where namako wall is the most popular in the Eastern Japan and many houses were built with namako wall since the Edo period (1603-1867) till the 1920s.

Matsuzaki was the center of namako wall culture in Izu. Namako wall became popular in Matsuzaki, because strong winter wind caused devastating fires. In addition to the environmental constraints, silk industry developed in the Meiji period (1868-1912) and the people in Matsuzaki were rich enough to finance the expensive construction. Matsuzaki produced many talented plaster craftsmen in order to meet the needs. Some of them became active out of their home town in big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. I would like to introduce the most prominent craftsman "Irie Chohachi" or "Izu no Chohachi" (Chohachi from Izu) in another article.

As namako wall was expensive, only rich people could afford it and even those rich people gave priority to cover their "kura" (storehouse) with namako wall. In the center of the main settlement of Matsuzaki, there are a few dozens of namako wall buildings. I personally find the house of Family Yoda most beautiful. It stands on the bank of Nakagawa River near the junction with Iwashina River and the port. The most striking construction is the storehouse in the corner. The storehouse and wall were built around 1900 and their black and white diagonal design creates a beautiful harmony with the surrounding water and greenery.

Central area of Matsuzaki

Residence of the family Yoda - from a different angle of the building on top of this page

Nakaze-tei - a former kimono shop

Surugaya - now a toy shop

Sankoso - Entrance of a Japanese style hotel

Izubun-tei - former kimono shop, now free to look in.

Kondo pharmacy - the birth house of Dr. Kondo has massive namako walls.

Kondo pharmacy - storehouses of the family Kondo

A private house

The decoration on the inner side of the storehouse door. The relief is white colored and made of plaster. Such ornaments were the starting point for the colorful works by Chohachi.

The Family Yoda was a rich kimono merchant family since the early Meiji period. Its shop "Nakaze-tei" was overtaken by the municipality in 1988 and since then opens to public. We can see the interior of this old kimono shop and at the same time old household utensils and other materials used for business. A plaster figure of Naokichi Yoda, maybe

Naokichi Yoda

the head of the family at the beginning of the Meiji period, was made by Chohachi in 1876 and is now displayed in the Chohachi Museum.

Matsuzaki owes its present townscape to the late mayor Keiichi Yoda, who tried to vitalize the town in the 1980s by creating attractive townscape utilizing its traditional craftsmanship. While he was in the office, he introduced various ideas to improve the townscape including houses, bridges, roads and trees. Therefore, not only many namako wall houses were restored but also new monuments were created such as the Clock Tower in front of "Nakaze-tei". The Clock Tower was originally built in 1922 to commemorate

Surugaya - now a toy shop

the wedding of the Emperor Showa (1901-1989), however was heavily damaged by te flood in 1938. Then it was reconstructed in 1987 as a part of the mayor’s plan to create an attractive townscape.

We can find buildings with namako wall most densely in "Namako-kabe Street". "Izubun-tei" was built in 1910 as a complex of shop and private quarter of a kimono merchant family. Now, it is overtaken by the municipality and accessible to everybody free of charge. In its opposite side of the street there is a ryokan (Japanese style hotel) "Sanko-so". It is famous for the rooms decorated by Chohachi.

Another interesting house is the birth house of Dr. Heizaburo Kondo, who made a large contribution to the study of alkaloid. The family used to run a pharmacy and the house wall is the most impressive one in Matsuzaki.

Yamaguchi village

With two horizontal lines to drain rain water

With the family crest

A provincial atmosphere

If we depart from the main part of the town and drive eastwards into mountains, we can find a few minutes later a small village Yamaguchi on our right side. Yamaguchi preserves 35 namako wall buildings and this is the biggest number within Matsuzaki. Among 35 buildings 24 are store houses and this tells us that there was and is a high risk of fire devastation in this village.

Cloud ornament - symbol of protection from fire

Fortunately Yamaguchi village is not yet discovered by tourists and I could see interesting namako walls and plaster ornaments in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

Some store houses carry family crests. There are ornaments in the shape of cloud or dragon as both are believed to invite rain. The horizontal lines on the store house walls are attached to cut the flow of water. The diagonal position of joints is also conceived to displace water as smoothly as possible. Often precious antiques or documents are preserved in such store houses. Kura is the symbol of wealth and namako wall enhances the security of the valuables stored inside.

2011.11.24