About the Seishikan Well Hut
The Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Well Hut (静思館（旧冨田家住宅）井戸小屋, Seishikan Idogoya) is a tiny single-story timber shelter built in 1934 in Ueno, Inagawa Town, Hyogo Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004.
It stands south of the Front Gate of Tomita Kumasaku's estate, beside the Guardhouse on the access path up from the road. It covers a well and measures 1.5 by 0.5 ken (a ken is about 1.8 m), with a building area of 2.1 m², the smallest building at Seishikan.
Why the Seishikan Well Hut was registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Seishikan Well Hut for its contribution to the historic landscape. Together with the Guardhouse, it sets the scene along the path leading up to the gate.
That even a shelter of about 2 m² is registered shows how completely Seishikan survives: almost nothing that made up the estate is missing. It is also one of the first buildings you see as you walk up the path.
What to look for at the Seishikan Well Hut
The east half of the Seishikan Well Hut is open to the south and holds the wellhead. The west half is a pump room, from which water was drawn up. Putting a well and a powered pump under one roof is typical of a well-equipped house of the early 1930s.
The walls are vertical boards. On the north side, facing the path, the wall rises all the way to the ridge, screening the well from passers-by. The roof is an asymmetric gable with one long slope, covered in corrugated metal with tiles laid along the ridge, much like the roof of the Attendants' Waiting Shelter.
Visiting the Seishikan Well Hut
The Seishikan Well Hut is outside the Front Gate on the access path, so you see it on your way in. It cannot be entered. The north side is a solid wall, so look from the open south side to see where the wellhead sits.
Opening days and access are on the Seishikan page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Well Hut
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- Where is the Seishikan Well Hut?
- South of the Front Gate, beside the Guardhouse on the access path up from the road.
- How big is the Seishikan Well Hut?
- It measures 1.5 by 0.5 ken, with a building area of 2.1 m², the smallest building at Seishikan.
- What is inside the Seishikan Well Hut?
- The east half, open to the south, holds the wellhead; the west half is a pump room.
- What is the roof of the Seishikan Well Hut like?
- An asymmetric gable of corrugated metal with tiles along the ridge. The north side is walled up to the ridge.
- Why is the Seishikan Well Hut a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 for its contribution to the historic landscape, forming the approach to the estate with the Guardhouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Well Hut (静思館（旧冨田家住宅）井戸小屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 22 Ueno Machimawari, Inagawa Town, Kawabe District, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 1.5 × 0.5 ken (ketayuki × harima), building area 2.1 m² |
| Owner | Inagawa Town |
| Public Access | Exterior only (seen from the access path) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 静思館（旧冨田家住宅）井戸小屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004171
- Inagawa Town: Inagawa Town Seishikan
- https://www.town.inagawa.lg.jp/soshiki/1036/gyomu/1/seishikan/6710.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
