Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed

Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed: A Taisho Winter House for Plants

A narrow Taisho-era shed in the northeast corner of the Fujiu estate in Kiryu, Gunma, used to overwinter bonsai, its west wall lined with sliding doors.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed: Winter Quarters for Potted Plants

The Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed (藤生家住宅盆栽小屋, Fujiu-ke Jūtaku Bonsaigoya) is a single-story timber shed of the Taishō era (1912-1925) at the north end of the east side of the Fujiu family estate in Hirosawa-chō, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

It was built to shelter bonsai and other potted plants through the winter. The Fujiu Bonsai Shed is long and narrow, 4 ken by just 1 ken, running north and south, with a building area of 14 square meters and a gabled roof of sheet metal.

A Wall of Sliding Doors

Along its west side, the Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed has a post at every ken with a pair of sliding doors in each bay, so nearly the whole long wall can be opened. Doors open, the pots get light and air; doors shut, the cold stays out. Whoever tended the plants could adjust the shed to each day of winter weather.

The outside is clad in vertical boards and the inside is plain clay between exposed posts. A depth of one ken is just enough to reach every pot on a shelf and to let daylight reach the back wall.

Why It Was Registered

The Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.

Most of the Fujiu buildings were put up by the early Meiji era to serve the farm and the household. This one, added in the Taishō era, was built for a pastime: growing plants in pots. The bathhouse also dates from the Taishō era, and together the two suggest a family turning its attention to comfort and leisure in those years.

Visiting the Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed

The Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed stands at the far northeast of the property and is hard to see from the road. The shed and grounds are part of a private home and are not open.

Please view the Fujiu estate only from the public road.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed; [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]

Q&A

QWhat was the Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed used for?: AIt sheltered bonsai and other potted plants through the winter, protecting them from the cold.

QWhen was the Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed built?: AIt dates to the Taishō era (1912-1925) and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

QHow is the west side of the Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed built?: APosts stand at every ken with sliding doors between them, so almost the entire west wall can be opened to light and air.

QHow big is the Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed?: AIt is a single-story timber building 4 by 1 ken, with a building area of 14 square meters.

QCan I visit the Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed?: ANo. It is in the far corner of a private residence that is not open to the public.

Basic Information

Name	Fujiu Family Residence Bonsai Shed
Location	5-1179 Hirosawacho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	Registered May 15, 2007 (54th round, registration no. 10-0220)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 14 square meters; 4 by 1 ken
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Not open to the public (private residence)