Morikawa Residence

Built in 1913 by salt merchant Morikawa Hachiro on land that was once a salt field, this Takehara estate includes a main house relocated from Fukuyama and rebuilt as a late-Edo-period machiya townhouse, along with a detached house, retirement house, and tea room. Hachiro later served as Takehara's mayor for 12 years. The entrance displays historical photographs and tools from the salt-making era, documenting the irihama enden channeling technique used here. The garden tea house is attributed to a follower of master garden designer Kobori Enshu. Spacious tatami rooms and a courtyard garden make this a quiet stop on Takehara's preserved townscape walk.