Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse

Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse: A Taisho Tiled Goemon Bath Room

A Taisho-era bathhouse of 5 square meters behind the Fujiu main house in Kiryu, Gunma, with tuff stone lower walls, glass shoji and a tile-cased goemon iron bathtub.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse: A Taishō-Era Room for a Goemon Bath

The Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse (藤生家住宅浴室, Fujiu-ke Jūtaku Yokushitsu) is a single-story timber bath building of the Taishō era (1912-1925) standing behind the main house, between the inner storehouse and the miso storehouse, at the Fujiu family estate in Hirosawa-chō, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

It is 1.5 by 1 ken with a building area of 5 square meters, under a gabled roof of pantiles. Only the Inari shrine shelter is smaller among the registered Fujiu buildings.

Stone Below, Boards Above

The walls of the Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse are built of squared tuff blocks up to about waist height, with vertical boarding above. Putting stone where steam and splashing water collect keeps the timber dry. Tuff is soft enough to cut easily; at this estate it also frames the west well.

The tub is a goemon-buro, an iron cauldron heated by a fire underneath, and on the Fujiu bath its outer casing is covered in tile. Glass shōji, sliding frames fitted with glass panes, fill the doorway and window and let in daylight.

Why a 5-Square-Meter Bathhouse Was Registered

The Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. Small as it is, it records how new materials such as tile and glass found their way into a homestead whose main house dates back to the late Edo period.

The retirement house has its own bath wing on the west, so each dwelling on the estate had a bath of its own. This one sits behind the main house near the east well and the miso storehouse, inside the daily round of hauling water and tending fires.

Visiting the Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse

The Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse lies deep in the grounds behind the main house and cannot be seen from the road. The interior is not open.

The estate is a private home, so please do not enter the grounds.

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

Q&A

QWhat kind of bath is in the Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse?: AA goemon-buro, an iron tub heated by a fire underneath. Its outer casing is finished in tile.

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

QWhy is the lower wall of the Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse made of stone?: AThe lower walls are squared tuff blocks, most likely to protect the timber from steam and splashing water. The upper walls are vertical boards.

QHow big is the Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse?: AIt is a single-story timber building 1.5 by 1 ken, with a building area of 5 square meters.

QCan I visit the Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse?: ANo. It stands deep inside a private residence that is not open to the public.

Basic Information

Name	Fujiu Family Residence Bathhouse
Location	5-1179 Hirosawacho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	Registered May 15, 2007 (54th round, registration no. 10-0222)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 5.0 square meters; 1.5 by 1 ken
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Not open to the public (private residence)