Takehara HiroshimaTourism Guide

The Morikawa family residence stands on land that was once a salt field during the Edo period (1603–1867). It was built in 1913 by Morikawa Hachiro, a successful salt merchant. He served as mayor of Takehara for 12 years, from 1924 to 1936.

The residence consisted of eight buildings including the main house, a detached house, a retirement house, and a tea house. The main house was relocated to Takehara from Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, and rebuilt as a townhouse (machiya), which dates from the late Edo period. The expansive home features spacious tatami mat rooms and a large courtyard garden with a variety of flowers and trees, which can be enjoyed in all seasons.

The house’s architectural style conveys the family’s prominence and wealth. The structure was originally designed for salt farm operations during the Taisho era (1912–1926). In the entrance are historical black-and-white photographs of the salt-making process and tools that were used in the salt fields during the peak of operations. A channeling technique called irihama enden was used to produce salt, which was groundbreaking at that time.

In the garden is an elegant tea house that is said to have been designed by Fujian, a tea master who followed the style of tea master and tea garden designer Kobori Enshu (1579–1647).

The Morikawa residence is designated an Important City Heritage Site.