The Former Yamamura Family Residence faces Honmachi-suji street and comprises two main houses, two storehouses, and a small tea room. Both houses and one of the storehouses were built in the late Edo period (1603–1867). The Yamamura family were members of the local elite in the thriving community centered on Hamasaki port.

The family bought the residence in the early years of the Meiji era (1868–1912), and as their wealth grew, they added another storehouse and a small tea room. In 2005, the family donated the residence to Hagi City. The front shop, the rear shop, and the residential buildings are separated with a genkan-niwa, or “garden courtyard.” This follows an architectural style known as omoteya-zukuri, which was popular in the Meiji era and today is most often found in Kyoto and Osaka. At the time of its construction, the residence was considered the pinnacle of machiya townhouse design.

The Former Yamamura Family Residence is the only surviving example of this style of design west of the Kansai region. The fact that the merchants and artisans in Hagi created such buildings is a testament to their wealth and sophistication.

(This English-language text was created by the Japan Tourism Agency. )