Ota Family Residence (Important Cultural Property)

These historically valuable buildings stand in Tomonoura, a coastal town that flourished as a strategic port for waiting out tides.

Prospering during the Edo period, the area has preserved many traditional merchant houses, temples, shrines, and iconic stone lanterns from that era, maintaining an authentic atmosphere reflecting the merchant culture of the Seto Inland Sea.

Originally expanded and renovated by the Nakamura family, renowned brewers of the medicinal liquor Homeishu, from the mid- to late-Edo period, these buildings were later inherited by the Ota family, who operated a successful shipping business during the Meiji era. The residence includes a main house, kitchen area, and traditional Homeishu sake brewery. At the entrance, visitors can see the traditional cedar ball (Sugidama), signifying a sake brewery.

Designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1991, this architectural complex offers valuable insights into the thriving commerce of the Seto Inland Sea, highlighting how merchant families incorporated contemporary designs and cultural sophistication into their residences.