Date(s)
October 30 (Fri), October 31 (Sat) & November 1 (Sun)
Time(s)
① 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
② 1:00 pm to 14:30 pm
Cost
¥2,500
(¥1,000 for students)
Includes sweets, matcha, and a souvenir natsumikan orange soap.
Children aged 12 and under accompanying a participant are free of charge (snacks will be provided).
Enter the onarimon gate reserved for nobility
For three days only, the onarimon gate at the Kumaya Family Residence, normally closed to the public, will be specially opened for this tour.
The Kumaya Family Residence, an Important Cultural Property, once supported the finances of the Hagi Domain as its leading official merchant during the Edo period. The onarimon gate was normally kept closed and used only to welcome special guests, such as the Mori clan lords, the feudal rulers of the Hagi Domain.
During this tour, you will enter through the specially opened onarimon gate and into the residence through the same entrance once used to welcome distinguished guests. For this day, you will be treated as an honored guest yourself.
Explore the tearoom reserved for the lord, as well as the bathing room and toilet. Then, sit in the prestigious main reception room and take in the garden, home to a 600-year-old Japanese sago palm. Afterwards, move to the detached teahouse and see the gate once used by samurai who played an active role in the final years of the Edo period.
Since the Edo period, the Kumaya family has ordered sweets from Toraya in Kyoto. As you reflect on the history of the residence and its distinguished guests, enjoy Toraya sweets and a bowl of matcha.
Meet the Host
Satoko Ohashi | Connecting the Kumaya Residence to Future Generations
An architect with ties to the Kumaya family and the temple community, Satoko works to preserve the Kumaya Family Residence and pass it on to future generations.
Discover the stories and people that bring this historic building to life.
Schedule
- Meet in front of the onarimon gate at the Kumaya Family Residence
- Enter the residence through an entrance used for distinguished guests
- Tour the interior of the main building with your architect-guide, then admire the garden from the main reception room
- Enjoy Toraya sweets and matcha in the detached reception room. After the tour, you are also welcome to visit the museum, home to Japan’s oldest surviving piano, which was gifted by German physician and botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold.
*If you are arriving on foot, please gather in front of the main building of the Kumaya Family Residence, just south of the museum entrance.
If you are arriving by car, please come to the museum entrance, where we will direct you to the meeting point.
Photo Gallery
Treasures Found Here
Kumaya Family Residence
A merchant family whose business helped support the Hagi Domain. The residence was visited by the lords of the Mori clan and other samurai from the final years of the Edo period.
Main Building of the Kumaya Family Residence
Featuring a special entrance for welcoming lords, reception rooms for entertaining guests, and a large kitchen and work area where many household staff worked.
Detached Reception Room
A gathering place for samurai from the final years of the Edo period, where they shared drinks and conversation. The head of the Omotesenke school of tea ceremony also stayed here during the Meiji period.
Information
| Date(s) | October 30 (Fri), October 31 (Sat), November 1 (Sun) |
| Time(s) | ① 10:30 am to 12:00 pm ② 1:00 pm to 14:30 pm (Held twice a day) |
| Location | Kumaya Family Residence 47 Imauonotana-machi, Hagi-shi, 758-0052 |
| Access | By Hagi City Circular Hop-on Bus (Eastern Route): A short walk from Kumaya Art Museum (E19) bus stop |
| Parking | Please use the parking lot in front of the Kumaya Art Museum. |
| Cost | ¥2,500 (¥1,000 for students) Includes sweets, matcha, and a souvenir natsumikan orange soap. |
| Payment Method | Cash or QR code payment |
| Capacity | 1 to 15 people |
| What to bring | Please be sure to wear or bring socks, as you will be entering rooms with tatami mats. |
| Please note | Children aged 12 and under accompanying a participant are free of charge. Snacks will be provided for children. |
| How to make a reservation | ・By phone (9:00 am to 4:00 pm, excluding Wednesdays and Thursdays): 0838-25-5535 ・By email: info@kumaya.art |
| Reservation Deadline | Up to three days before the event date. |
| Cancelations | Day before: Must pay 50% of program cost Same day: Must pay 50% of program cost No-show: Must pay 100% of program cost |
Recommended for…
- solo travellers
- families
- those with children
- friends
- couples
- anyone interested in history, architecture, and the samurai of the Bakumatsu period.