Yoshie Doi

View of the well from above.
A mysterious well where you can look down from above and talk to the person who went down from the top of the well.

Inner wall of the well　　　　　　　　　　Structure of the well　

Illustration of “Kyo-Suzume” from the Edo period

Aburimochi Ichiwa’s well, founded 1025 years ago　　

Zuishin-in Temple: The well where Ono no Komachi used as a mirror　

　The well water of Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine, located at the eastern end of Nishiki-koji, is refreshing and delicious. It was because of this well water that Nishiki Market was built here.

　It is said that the market was opened after Hideyoshi unified Japan, but it did not become a fully-fledged fish market until the Edo period, when wells were dug deep underground and refrigerated warehouses were built using the cold air to preserve fish. Recentury several decades ago, cooling methods and equipment using underground heat, geothermal heat pumps, and air conditioners using well water and groundwater were also developed. This means that 400 years ago, thermodynamics was put into practice, using natural enthalpy as a storage tank. We pay tribute to the wisdom of our ancestors. With this experience and insight, the Fish and Bird Market was established in Uoya-cho. The wisdom of storing natural ice in icehouses was also likely a reference.

　A descending well is not just a well for pumping water, but also has a storage space that can be accessed by stairs, and it has played the role of a natural refrigerator. It is thought to have existed since the Heian period, and Ono no Komachi’s makeup well is a descending well. It is said that she applied makeup using the mirror on the surface of the water.

　Nishiki, located in the center of Kyoto, was close to the Imperial Palace for deliveries, and considering Kyoto’s hot and humid climate, Nishiki was a market that combined the advantages of its location, water, and cool air. In summer, it was able to maintain a temperature difference of about 10 degrees compared to the outside air.　　During the Genna era (1615-1623), the shogunate allowed the town to be called fish wholesalers, and the town names Yawoya-cho, Uwoya-cho, and Nishiuwoya-cho are recorded in the Edo period guidebook “Kyojaku.” Merchants with shops in Nishiki were licensed by the government and had a monopoly on business. It is said that for events held at the Imperial Palace, each shop in the market even donated plates for serving fish with the same designs.
　In addition, in 1770, the magistrate’s office gave permission for the opening of a vegetable market in Takakura on Nishikikoji, and it became extremely prosperous.　Looking at the Edo period guidebook “Kyo-Suzume,” we can see that turban shells, sea bream, octopus, sea cucumber, dried squid, sweetfish, eel, and chicken were sold. The well where the fish were stored, shown in Figure 1, still exists in Iyomata (Fuyacho Nishiki).

　At the time, people would descend stairs to the bottom of the well, and in the wide well space, boxes containing fish would be hung or floated next to the groundwater to preserve them. This kind of idea of using natural energy could be a clue to solving environmental problems in the 21st century.

　We can descend to the bottom of the well at Aburimochi Ichiwa, a tea shop founded in the year 1000 during the Heian period. You can still see the well at the tea shop today. It has been flowing for a thousand years.

　Summer water sprinkling, blinds, water fans, wind chimes, etc., which are said to be the wisdom of daily life, are representative examples of eco-friendly practices. Water fans were made in Gifu during the Meiji period, and fans soaked in water bring a cool breeze.

The end of document
Translated by Masami Otani

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