A Stone-Lined Well in the Back Yard
The Nomura Takao Family Residence Well (野村隆男家住宅井戸, Nomura Takao-ke Jūtaku Ido) is a late Edo-period (1830–1867) stone well in Doi Kakuchū, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 12 July 2005. It is 95 centimetres across at the top and about 10 metres deep, and is registered as number 39-0193.
It was dug north-west of the kamaya, the kitchen wing of the main house, right in front of the firewood shed door, so the place for drawing water sat next to the stove and the fuel store.
Why a Well Was Registered
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Nomura well is now capped because the household switched to a pump, but the shaft itself is undamaged and remains much as it was built. It was registered because it shows how a samurai household got its water.
The formal criterion is its contribution to the historic landscape. Registered together with the house and outbuildings, the well lets you follow the household's daily life through its water supply as well as its buildings.
River Stones Ten Metres Down
The shaft of the Nomura Takao Family Residence Well is lined with river stones, rounded cobbles stacked in a cylinder to a depth of about 10 metres. Aki City notes that stones from the Aki River were used for walls in Doi Kakuchū too, so the well draws on the same local material.
The national database gives the area at ground level as 0.71 square metres. A mouth 95 centimetres wide is narrower than an adult's outstretched arms.
Its position is telling. Within a few steps are the kitchen wing, the woodshed and the toilet and bath building with its tub. Water, fire and fuel all sit together in the north-west corner of the back yard.
Seeing the Well
The Nomura Takao Family Residence Well is in the back yard north of the main house, in front of the woodshed door. Because the top is sealed, you cannot look down at the stonework.
Instead, stand beside it and take in how close it is to the kitchen wing and the woodshed. Please do not stand on the cover or put anything on it.
Q&A
- Where is the Nomura Takao Family Residence Well?
- It is north-west of the kitchen wing of the main house, in front of the firewood shed door, in the back yard behind the house.
- How big is the Nomura Takao Family Residence Well and how is it built?
- It is 95 centimetres across at the top and about 10 metres deep, lined with stacked river stones. The national database lists it as a stone structure with an area of 0.71 square metres.
- Can you look down into the Nomura Takao Family Residence Well?
- No. The top has been sealed since a pump was installed. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the shaft is undamaged and keeps its original form.
- When was the Nomura Takao Family Residence Well built and registered?
- The national database dates it to the late Edo period (1830–1867). It was registered on 12 July 2005 as number 39-0193.
- Can you visit the Nomura Takao Family Residence Well?
- Yes. The residence is owned by Aki City and open free of charge, roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day according to the city. Please do not stand on the cover.
Basic Information
| Name | Nomura Takao Family Residence Well |
|---|---|
| Location | 994 Doi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 12 July 2005 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, area 0.71 square metres (95 centimetres across at the top, about 10 metres deep) |
| Owner | Aki City |
| Public Access | Open (free, about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily) |
References
- 野村隆男家住宅井戸 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004847
- 野村隆男家住宅井戸 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/117927
- Aki City Doi Kakuchu Preservation District (Aki City)
- https://www.city.aki.kochi.jp/life/dtl.php?hdnKey=1381
Last verified: 2026.09.29
