What Is the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well?
The Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well (金城増治家住宅井戸, Kinjō Masuharu-ke Jūtaku Ido) is a stone-lined dug well of around 1891 on a homestead in Makabe, Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 November 2005.
The Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well lies west of the main house, close to the edge of the property. Its shaft is a circle of stonework about 1.1 meters across, and it goes down about 8.6 meters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records its area as 2.1 square meters and counts it as a single structure.
Part of the Homestead
The Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency values it as one of the elements that make up the homestead.
Makabe village has a number of shared springs and communal wells, known locally as kā, and Itoman City's village guide map describes them one by one. The Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well is different: a well that one household dug on its own land. Sinking a shaft about 8.6 meters deep was a real undertaking, and it shows how much it mattered to have water inside the homestead.
Two Kinds of Masonry and Two Stone Posts
The most interesting thing about the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well is that its builders used two different kinds of masonry in the same shaft. On the side where water was drawn, the lining is of dressed, cut stone. The back is Nozurazumi, rubble laid more or less as it came from the ground. Only the side where people stood to draw water received the careful finish.
Two square stone posts stand beside the well, one to the south and one to the north. The southern post is 2 meters tall and the northern one 1 meter, so they do not match. The Agency's description does not say what they were for, and we found no explanation elsewhere. When you stand at the well, compare the cut face with the rubble face, and note the difference in height between the two posts.
Visiting the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well
The Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well is inside the grounds and hard to see from the lane. The property can only be entered as a customer of the eatery in the main house. Opening days and directions are on the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence page.
The shaft is still about 8.6 meters deep, so do not lean over the rim or peer down into it, and keep a close eye on children.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well
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Q&A
- How deep is the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well?
- About 8.6 meters. It is a dug well with a round stone lining about 1.1 meters across.
- What is special about the stonework of the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well?
- The side where water was drawn is lined with cut stone, while the back is rubble masonry, so two methods are used in one shaft.
- What are the stone posts beside the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well?
- Two square stone posts, 2 meters tall on the south side and 1 meter on the north. The Agency for Cultural Affairs does not record their purpose.
- When did the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 10 November 2005, as registration number 47-0005, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I see the Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well?
- It is inside the grounds, which you can enter as a customer of the eatery in the main house during its opening hours.
Basic Information
| Name | Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well (金城増治家住宅井戸) |
|---|---|
| Location | 223 Makabe, Itoman City, Okinawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), Registration No. 47-0005 |
| Year Designated | Registered 10 November 2005 |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, area 2.1 square meters, about 1.1 meters across, about 8.6 meters deep |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Viewable within the grounds by customers of the eatery in the main house |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: 金城増治家住宅井戸 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005072
- Cultural Heritage Online: 金城増治家住宅井戸
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/170382
- Kinjo Masuharu Family Residence Well (Itoman City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.itoman.lg.jp/soshiki/31/21730.html
- Former Makabe Village Guide Map (Itoman City Board of Education, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.itoman.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/2472.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.28
