A Small Brick House over the Well
The Former Saba Water Purification Plant Clear Water Well House (福山市旧佐波浄水場浄水井上屋) is the small building over the clear water well of a waterworks of 1925 in Sabacho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey building of brick and stone with a building area of 12 square metres; registration number 34-0134.
A Hut over the Clear Water Well
The Former Saba Water Purification Plant Clear Water Well House stands at the middle of the east side of the clear water well, west of the distribution reservoir (Agency for Cultural Affairs). An uwaya, or well house, is a covering building set over a plant facility; here it is a small brick structure attached to the well.
It is tiny: single-storey, 3.0 metres east to west, 4.1 metres north to south and 2.6 metres high (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A doorway sits in the middle of the east wall, and a tall, narrow window is centred in each of the other three walls.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that it is simple but carefully made and adds character to the plant's landscape, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the symmetry: each of the four walls has a single opening at its centre, a doorway on the east and tall windows on the other three (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Walking round it shows how carefully such a small building was laid out.
Visiting
The well house stands inside Saba Shiroyama Park and can be seen from the grounds (Fukuyama City cultural properties map). No official information on interior access was found.
Q&A
- When was the Former Saba Water Purification Plant Clear Water Well House built?
- In 1925 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is the Former Saba Water Purification Plant Clear Water Well House?
- 3.0 metres east to west, 4.1 metres north to south and 2.6 metres high.
- What is a well house at a waterworks?
- A small covering building over a plant facility; at Saba it stands at the middle of the clear water well's east side.
- Can I visit the Former Saba Water Purification Plant Clear Water Well House?
- It can be seen from the grounds of Saba Shiroyama Park; no official information on interior access was found.
- When was the Former Saba Water Purification Plant Clear Water Well House registered?
- On March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Saba Water Purification Plant Clear Water Well House (福山市旧佐波浄水場浄水井上屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 202-7 Sabacho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/03/29 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey brick and stone, 12 m² |
| Owner | Fukuyama City |
| Public Access | Exterior visible in Saba Shiroyama Park (no information on interior access) |
References
- Former Saba Water Purification Plant Clear Water Well House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009534
- Cultural Properties Map (Fukuyama City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/uploaded/attachment/155581.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.29
