A Hair-Oil Merchant's House near Kintaikyo
The Kuniyasu Family Residence (國安家住宅) is the main house of a merchant of before 1850 in Iwakuni, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 15, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 257 square metres; registration number 35-0032.
Matsuganeya, a Maker of Hair Oil
The Kuniyasu Family Residence stands on Honmachi-suji, the street of Iwakuni's leading merchants, and was the main house of Matsuganeya, a maker and seller of the pomade used for traditional hairstyles (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a nine-bay plastered townhouse entered from the long side, with a low upper storey whose front is pierced by horizontally barred mushiko windows.
According to the Yamaguchi tourism site, it is now used as Honke Matsugane, a tourist centre of Iwakuni City, where visitors under the heavy beams can taste local sake and specialities (for a fee), and dress in armour on weekends by reservation.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency values it as a merchant house that shows the castle town of Iwakuni in the Edo period, and registered it as a building that would not be easy to reproduce.
What to Look For
Look for the barred mushiko windows of the low upper storey and the heavy beams inside (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Yamaguchi tourism site).
Visiting
It is owned by Iwakuni City and open as a tourist centre. According to the Yamaguchi tourism site, it opens from 9:00 to 17:00 (to 18:00 from April to August) every day, about 5 minutes on foot from the Kintaikyo bus stop, some 20 minutes by bus from JR Iwakuni Station.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- Before 1850 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What business was it?
- Matsuganeya, a maker and seller of hair pomade.
- What is distinctive about it?
- The barred mushiko windows of the low upper storey.
- Can I visit?
- Yes, as the Honke Matsugane tourist centre, open daily.
- When was the Kuniyasu Family Residence registered?
- On February 15, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kuniyasu Family Residence (國安家住宅) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-7-3 Iwakuni, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/02/15 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 257 m² |
| Owner | Iwakuni City |
| Public Access | Open as Honke Matsugane tourist centre (9:00-17:00) |
References
- Kuniyasu Family Residence (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001532
- Honke Matsugane tourist centre (Yamaguchi tourism site, Japanese)
- https://yamaguchi-tourism.jp/spot/detail_18116.html
Last verified: 2026.10.21