Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence East Well

Fujiu Family Residence East Well: Granite Stonework for Drinking Water

An early-Meiji drinking-water well behind the Fujiu main house in Kiryu, Gunma, with a granite curb held by half-lap joints over a 4.3-meter shaft of cobbles.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence East Well: The Household’s Drinking-Water Source

The Fujiu Family Residence East Well (藤生家住宅東井戸, Fujiu-ke Jūtaku Higashi-ido) is an early Meiji-era stone-built well behind the main house, just south of the miso storehouse, at the Fujiu family estate in Hirosawa-chō, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

This was the well the Fujiu family drank from. Its curb is 1 meter square, built of four squared granite slabs 45 centimeters high and 15 centimeters thick. Below ground the shaft is lined with dry-laid river cobbles and reaches a depth of 4.3 meters. The registered area is 1.1 square meters.

Why a Well Was Registered

The Fujiu Family Residence East Well was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs specifically praises the quality of its stonework.

The four granite slabs are joined with aikaki, half-lap notches cut into the end of each stone so that neighbors lock together, and the joints close with real precision. Granite is hard and slow to work, so shaping it this carefully for an everyday well took a deliberate investment of labor.

Above Ground and Below

The Fujiu East Well uses two different kinds of masonry. The curb you would see at ground level is cut and fitted stone; the shaft beneath is dry-laid cobbles with no mortar, letting groundwater seep in between the stones, a lining used for wells in many parts of Japan.

The estate has a second well, on the west side by the garden pond, said to have served the tea room and framed in softer tuff with a much lower curb. The east well, close to the kitchen side of the house, is built of harder granite and goes deeper. Each well was matched to its job.

Visiting the Fujiu Family Residence East Well

The Fujiu Family Residence East Well lies behind the main house, well inside the grounds, and you should not expect to see it from the road. The estate is a private home and is not open to the public.

When visiting the Fujiu estate, please keep to the public road.

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

Q&A

QWhat was the Fujiu Family Residence East Well used for?: AIt supplied the household’s drinking water. It lies behind the main house, just south of the miso storehouse.

QWhat is the curb of the Fujiu Family Residence East Well made of?: AFour squared granite slabs joined with half-lap notches, forming a curb 1 meter square, 45 centimeters high and 15 centimeters thick.

QHow deep is the Fujiu Family Residence East Well?: AIt is 4.3 meters deep, and the lower shaft is lined with dry-laid river cobbles.

QWhen was the Fujiu Family Residence East Well built?: AIt dates to the early Meiji era and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

QCan I see the Fujiu Family Residence East Well?: ANo. It is inside the grounds of a private residence that is not open to the public.

Basic Information

Name	Fujiu Family Residence East Well
Location	5-1179 Hirosawacho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	Registered May 15, 2007 (54th round, registration no. 10-0227)
Quantity	1 structure
Dimensions	Area 1.1 square meters; curb 1 meter square and 45 centimeters high; depth 4.3 meters
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Not open to the public (private residence)