What the Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House Is
The Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House (清水家住宅門及び井戸覆屋, Shimizu-ke Jūtaku Mon oyobi Ido-ōiya) is a late Meiji-era timber gate with an attached well shelter in Kawanabe, Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2009. The gate continues south from the end of the barn, its ridge running north to south, and the well house is attached south of the gate. Because the two are built as one continuous structure, they were registered together as a single item.
Both are timber, with simple gabled roofs in the Kirizuma-zukuri form covered in pantiles. The gate is 2.8 metres wide. The well house measures 3.0 metres by 2.0 metres, an area of 6.0 square metres. The national database classes the pair not as a building but as an "other structure".
The Estate's Face to the Road
The Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape (register no. 33-0233). The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with giving the estate a proper front toward the Izumo Ōrai, the old highway the property faces.
The main house, barn and storehouse served the household's life and work inside the compound. The gate and well house did a different job: they were what the road saw. Someone travelling along the highway would have noticed these two small structures before the main house behind them, and together they set the outline of the Shimizu estate as seen from the street.
No record explains why the well was placed at the front. What the layout does show is that the household's water source stood right beside the entrance, not tucked away at the back of the site.
An Octagonal Stone Well
The feature to look for at the Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House is the well itself. It sits toward the south end of the shelter, and its curb is a square block of stone with the corners cut off to make an octagon. The stone is a local tuff.
Okayama Prefecture notes that the well carries an inscription reading Meiji 40, fourth month, which corresponds to April 1907. Among the registered Shimizu buildings, it is the only feature dated to the month. The inscription dates the well, though, not necessarily the gate or the shelter over it.
Tuff is relatively soft and easy to cut, a quality you can see in the neat chamfered faces of the octagon and in the carved characters. If you are allowed in, look for the inscription as you walk round the curb.
Visiting the Gate and Well House
Standing at the front of the estate, the Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House is the easiest of the four listed structures to see. It is still part of a private home, however, and nothing has been published on passing through the gate, viewing the well and its inscription inside the shelter, or taking photographs. Visits to the Shimizu Family Residence are arranged by phoning ahead, so ask when you call (checked 25 September 2026).
Directions to the estate and how to arrange a visit are on the Shimizu Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- How old is the well at the Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House?
- According to Okayama Prefecture, the well is inscribed Meiji 40, fourth month, that is, April 1907.
- What is the well at the Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House made of?
- Local tuff. The curb is a square block with its corners cut away to form an octagon.
- How big is the Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House?
- The gate is 2.8 metres wide. The well house measures 3.0 by 2.0 metres, an area of 6.0 square metres.
- Why is the Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It gives the estate its front toward the old Izumo Ōrai highway, and was registered on 28 April 2009 for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I see the inscription on the Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House well?
- The well is inside the shelter, and the extent of access has not been published. Ask when you phone ahead to arrange a visit.
Basic Information
| Name | Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House (清水家住宅門及び井戸覆屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 889 Kawanabe Furuyashiki, Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), register no. 33-0233 |
| Year Designated | Registered 28 April 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Gate: timber, tiled roof, 2.8 metres wide / Well house: timber, tiled roof, 6.0 square metres, with well |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Visits free of charge by prior arrangement. Access inside the well house to be confirmed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007694
- Cultural Heritage Online, Shimizu Family Residence Gate and Well House (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/183906
- Okayama Prefecture, Shimizu Family Residence heritage sheet (Japanese, PDF)
- https://www.pref.okayama.jp/uploaded/attachment/261009.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.25
