Namakokabe Izu Matsuzaki still preserves many houses and storehouses with namakokabe walls built in a bygone era. Namakokabe is one of Japan’s traditional wall-plastering styles used on kura (storehouses) and similar buildings. Flat tiles are arranged across the wall surface, and the joints are finished with kamaboko-shaped layers of plaster. The raised shape of the joints resembles a namako (sea cucumber), which is how the style got its name. Namakokabe was constructed 1. for insulation, moisture control, and pest prevention 2. to guard against fire and theft and required substantial expense and labor. The namakokabe at the Kondo Family was built in the late Edo period, and the street lined with these walls is called Namakokabe Street.