What Is the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House?
The Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House (旧北村医院（李軒邸）井戸屋形, Kyū Kitamura Iin Riken-tei Ido Yakata) is a small roofed shelter over a well, built between 1919 and 1926 in Tobakamicho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, and entered on the register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on October 14, 2021. It is a single-storey timber structure with a gabled roof of pantiles and a footprint of 2.4 square meters, standing just inside the front gate on its east side.
It is the smallest of the ten registered structures. The well occupies the southern half under the roof, and the northern half is a washing area.
Why It Was Registered
The Well House was registered under the criterion of contributing to the country's historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it for showing the makeup of a doctor's household.
It dates from the same years in which the consultation building went up and the detached parlor became the waiting room. A clinic needs water as much as a home does, and a new well and washing area just inside the gate fit into that wider rebuilding of the compound as a medical practice. Small as it is, the Kitamura well house is one of the pieces that keeps the set complete.
What to Look For
An open frame of posts and tie beams
The Well House has no walls. Its posts are tied together with horizontal beams, except at the entrance to the washing area, which is left clear so people can step in. At the front, each corner post is paired with an auxiliary bracing post (Hikaebashira) that steadies a roof that rests on slender supports.
Widely spaced rafters under the eaves
The eaves use rafters set at generous intervals, with thin laths nailed across them to take the roof tiles. Look up under the eaves and you see a grid of stout rafters and fine laths. The structure is tiny, but the roof has been framed with care.
A hook under the ridge
A metal hanging fitting survives on the underside of the exposed ridge beam, directly above the well. The agency does not say what it was for, but its position suggests it held the pulley for raising and lowering a bucket.
Viewing the Well House
Because the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House stands inside the front gate, it has not been confirmed how much of it can be seen from outside. No public opening had been announced as of September 27, 2026, so the well and its fittings cannot be seen up close. The agency's database shows the structure from the west and its roof framing from the north. The well is still part of a private property; please do not lean over it or drop anything in.
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Q&A
- What is the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House?
- A small roofed shelter over a well, with the well in the southern half and a washing area in the northern half. At 2.4 square meters, it is the smallest of the ten registered structures at the Former Kitamura Clinic.
- When was the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House built?
- In the late Taisho era, between 1919 and 1926, the same period in which the consultation building was built and the waiting room was created.
- How is the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House built?
- It has an open timber frame with horizontal tie beams on all sides except the entrance to the washing area, and auxiliary bracing posts beside the two front corner posts. The eaves use widely spaced rafters with thin laths.
- What is the metal fitting in the roof of the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House?
- A hanging fitting survives under the ridge beam, directly above the well. Its purpose is not stated in official sources, but its position suggests it carried a pulley for the well bucket.
- Can visitors see the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House?
- It stands inside the front gate, and no public opening had been announced as of September 27, 2026. Please do not enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House |
|---|---|
| Location | 761-1 Tsujishita, Tobakamicho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2021 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 1 storey, tiled roof, building area 2.4 square meters |
| Owner | Not published |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no opening announced; checked September 27, 2026) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Well House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014036
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Council for Cultural Affairs recommendation on registered buildings (July 16, 2021, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/93246101_01.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.26
