This house, the former residence of the Yoshii family, is the oldest standing residential building in Takehara, and it was built in 1691.
Next to the entrance, you’ll see a special onarimon gate. When the lord of the Hiroshima Domain visited Takehara to inspect the salt making, he would enter from this gate, and the master of the house would entertain the lord in the special guest suite known as the onari-zashiki.
The prestigious Yoshii family were another clan of wealthy merchants that saw massive success in their salt business. The Yoshii family was known as the wealthiest of the great merchants in Takehara, and after building their fortune through salt, they became de facto leaders of the town. The Yoshii family continued to grow their business, expanding into sake brewing and shipping.
The Yoshii family had complete ownership over large ships, which had a particularly outstanding presence among the merchants of Takehara. Using both their large ships and cargo ships, Takehara’s salt was transported as far as Hokkaido, where it was used to preserve fish and kombu, which is an edible kelp prominent in Japanese cuisine across the country. The preserved ingredients would be loaded back on the ships and transported to other regions, such as Osaka and Edo. Other records show that salt from Takehara also traveled to Chiba, where it was used in the production of soy sauce.
As a port town, Takehara built even more infrastructure during the Edo period and continued to develop. The ships that set sail with salt on board would return with rice, and that abundance of rice led to the rise of sake brewing in Takehara.
Though it may seem humble in appearance, the history of Japan’s age of sea exploration lies within its walls.
