Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Kawabata Family Residence Well House

Kawabata Family Residence Well House: An Open Shelter of 1935

An open-sided well shelter of 1935 behind the Bathhouse on the Kawabata estate in Fujioka, Gunma, its central well ringed by river stones, serving a large household.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

What Is the Kawabata Family Residence Well House?

The Kawabata Family Residence Well House (川端家住宅井戸屋形, Kawabata-ke Jūtaku Ido-yakata) is a small open-sided shelter over a well on the west side of the Main House on the Kawabata estate in Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture, built in 1935 and registered in 2001 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

It continues directly behind the Bathhouse under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki tiles with a north–south ridge. Its building area is 9.9 square meters, the same as the Bathhouse.

An ido-yakata is a roofed cover built over a well. With no walls, the roof alone keeps rain and leaves out of the water.

Why the Kawabata Family Residence Well House Was Registered

The Kawabata Family Residence Well House was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion "a model of form."

The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, simple as it is, it served the water needs of a large estate and is an essential part of how the living space was organized. A big household and its staff depended on this well.

Its link to the Bathhouse matters too. Water drawn here could go straight to the bath next door, so the earth-floored work area of the Main House, the Bathhouse and the Well House form a short chain of water-related tasks.

Highlights of the Kawabata Family Residence Well House

The well sits at the center of the Kawabata Family Residence Well House, and around it a border of rounded river stones creates a change in level. The step would have helped shed spilled water and kept footing firm at the wellside.

Open on all four sides, the well can be reached from any direction. Only the posts carrying the roof stand here, making it an even lighter structure than the Bathhouse beside it.

The two 1935 buildings match in size and roof form and run one after the other from south to north. Notice how their gabled roofs line up as one water corner.

Visiting the Kawabata Family Residence Well House

The Kawabata Family Residence Well House is behind the Main House and cannot be seen from outside. The estate is still a home and is not open to the public.

The owners accept filming and event bookings on a reservation-only basis. Whether service areas close to the living quarters can be viewed is a question to raise when you book.

For history and transport, see the Kawabata Family Residence page.

Q&A

QWhat is the Kawabata Family Residence Well House?: AAn open-sided roofed shelter over a well, with a gabled tiled roof and a building area of 9.9 square meters, built in 1935.

QWhere is the Kawabata Family Residence Well House?: AOn the west side of the Main House, directly behind the Bathhouse.

QWhat surrounds the well in the Kawabata Family Residence Well House?: AA border of rounded river stones set around the well to form a step.

QWhy is the Kawabata Family Residence Well House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?: AIt was registered in 2001 as "a model of form," as an essential water facility of a large estate.

QCan I visit the Kawabata Family Residence Well House?: AIt is hidden behind the Main House and the estate is private. Ask the owners about access when making a reservation-only booking.

Basic Information

Name	Kawabata Family Residence Well House
Location	391 Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	2001 (Heisei 13)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 9.9 m²
Owner	Kawabata Hozensha
Public Access	Not open to the public (private home; reservation-only use for filming and events)