What Is the Misedoi Family Residence Well House?
The Misedoi Family Residence Well House (見世土井家住宅井戸屋形, Misedoi-ke Jūtaku Idoyakata) is a timber well shelter of the early Shōwa period (1926 to 1945) on the Misedoi estate in Asahi-cho, Owase City, Mie Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015. It covers 10 square metres, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs classes it as a structure other than a building.
It stands north of the main house, directly in front of the back door of the earth-floored Doma kitchen, with its ridge running east to west. It measures 3.7 by 2.7 metres, single-storey, under a gabled Sangawara-buki roof.
Beneath the roof are a well and an outdoor sink: a covered water station just outside the kitchen.
A Water Station Built Around the Kitchen
The Misedoi Family Residence Well House was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and its value lies largely in where it is. Step out of the kitchen door and you are at the well. Drawing water, washing and carrying things back inside all happen within a few paces.
Putting the well and sink under one roof meant kitchen work could carry on in the rain, which in Owase, known for exceptionally heavy rainfall, was no small consideration.
Before piped water, the link between well and kitchen shaped daily life in a Japanese house. Here that link survives intact, together with its position relative to the main house.
What to Look For
Look at the posts. They are set in the shihō-korobi manner, each leaning slightly inward so the four legs splay outward at the base. The splay steadies a small, almost wall-less structure.
Only the west side is boarded; the other three sides are open. The west wall screens the well from the north service gate, the same purpose served by the board fence beside the outdoor toilet. Openness on three sides and privacy on one make for a very economical design.
The arrangement of well and sink beneath the roof rewards a moment spent imagining how the space was worked.
Visiting the Well House
The Misedoi Family Residence Well House is in the service yard and is not open to the public. The estate does not, as a rule, admit people who come only to see the cultural properties, and no viewing days are announced (checked 17 September 2026).
Since its west wall was built to block views from the north gate, you should not expect to see the well area from the northern street. If you are inside for an event, look for the splayed posts, and check with staff before taking pictures.
Directions and entry conditions are on the Misedoi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- What is the Misedoi Family Residence Well House?
- A roofed outdoor water station of the early Shōwa period (1926 to 1945) sheltering a well and a sink, directly outside the kitchen's back door.
- What is special about the posts of the Misedoi Family Residence Well House?
- They are set with an inward lean on all four sides (shihō-korobi), which steadies a small structure that has almost no walls.
- Why is only one side of the Misedoi Family Residence Well House walled?
- The boarded west side screens the well from the north service gate. The other three sides are left open.
- How large is the Misedoi Family Residence Well House?
- It measures 3.7 by 2.7 metres, with an area of 10 square metres.
- Can I see the Misedoi Family Residence Well House?
- It is not open to the public, and the estate does not admit sightseers as a rule (checked 17 September 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Misedoi Family Residence Well House (見世土井家住宅井戸屋形) |
|---|---|
| Location | 72 Asahi-cho, Owase City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), register no. 24-0213 |
| Year Designated | Registered 4 August 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Wooden, tiled roof, area 10 square metres |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Closed. The estate does not admit sightseers as a rule. |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Misedoi Family Residence Well House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010622
- Cultural Heritage Online: Misedoi Family Residence Well House (in Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/276426
- Owase City: Misedoi Family Residence Main House and Eight Other Structures (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.owase.lg.jp/0000013066.html
- Owase City: Summary of the Nine Registered Structures (PDF, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.owase.lg.jp/cmsfiles/contents/0000013/13066/doimisegaiyou.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.17
