A Roof for the Household Well
The Nobuoka Family Residence Well House (信岡家住宅井戸屋形, Nobuoka-ke Jūtaku Idoyakata) is a small shelter of 1868 built over the well southeast of the main house at the Nobuoka Family Residence in Tode, Shin’ichi-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 April 2008.
It runs east to west and measures 3.1 metres by 1.8 metres, an area of 5.6 square metres, under a hipped pantile roof. A stone well sits toward the western end and a stone-paved washing area extends to the east, both under the one roof.
The Nobuoka well house is dated Keio 4, the year renamed Meiji 1 in its ninth month, which makes it the last of the eight buildings to carry an Edo-period era name.
Why It Was Registered
The well house was listed as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to its distinctive construction, in particular the way the posts are set and the walls are filled in.
The well was the most basic facility in the household, providing water for drinking and cooking and a place to wash dishes and vegetables. It stands southeast of the main house, close to the earth-floored kitchen, and gathering the well and the washing area under one roof follows the logic of daily housework.
What to Look At
Well and washing floor
The stone well stands at the west end and the paved washing floor at the east, so water could be drawn and used in a single step. The stone paving would have helped the water drain away.
Posts on stone
On the east side, where the washing floor is, the posts stand on foundation stones rather than in the ground, a sensible way to keep timber dry where water was splashed every day.
Open-topped, open-bottomed walls
The north and south sides are tied together with horizontal beams, while the east and west sides have low panel walls left open above and below. The gap at the bottom lets water run out; the gap at the top lets in light and air. Each face of this small structure is built differently, and that variety is the main thing to look for.
A hipped roof
The roof slopes down on all four sides, low and settled from every angle, a different shape from the gabled roofs of the main house and the storehouses.
Visiting
As of October 2026 there is no notice of public access to the Nobuoka well house. It stands in the middle of the compound, southeast of the main house, and is unlikely to be visible from the road. Even on event days at the Nobuoka Flat Museum, check whether this part of the grounds is open.
Q&A
- When was the Nobuoka Family Residence Well House built?
- It was built in 1868 (Keio 4), the year renamed Meiji 1 in its ninth month.
- What is the Nobuoka Family Residence Well House?
- It is a hipped-roof shelter covering a stone well and a stone-paved washing area, 3.1 metres by 1.8 metres with an area of 5.6 square metres.
- What should I look for at the Nobuoka well house?
- Notice how each side differs: posts on foundation stones on the washing side, horizontal tie beams on the north and south, and low walls left open above and below on the east and west.
- Why is the Nobuoka Family Residence Well House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 18 April 2008 as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce.
- Can I visit the Nobuoka Family Residence Well House?
- There was no notice of public access as of October 2026. It stands in the middle of the compound and is hard to see from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Nobuoka Family Residence Well House (信岡家住宅井戸屋形) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2166 Tode, Shin'ichi-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/4/18 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, tiled roof, 5.6 square metres |
| Owner | Nobuoka Jisho Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no notice of public access) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Nobuoka Family Residence Well House (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007132
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nobuoka Family Residence Well House (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/120004
Last verified: 2026.10.08
