Homma Museum of Art

The port city of Sakata flourished as a base for Kitamae-bune ships that sailed between Hokkaido and Osaka by calling at the ports dotting the coastline along the Sea of Japan from the 1800s to 1900s. Among the merchants in Sakata, the Homma Family was known to be the wealthiest, whose exploits were reflected in the lyric of a popular song of the time, "Nobody could ever be a Homma, but everybody would like to be at least a lord." The family's villa and Japanese garden were opened to the public in 1947 by the family in the hope that people in post-WWII Japan would restore hope and confidence through Japanese art. Later in 1968, the new exhibition hall showcasing the family's art collections was built, which came to be known as the Homma Museum of Art.

Located about 10 minutes by car from the Homma Museum of Art is the former main residence of the Homma Family. Built in 1768 by the family for the Sakai family, a feudal lord who ruled over the Shonai domain, the house features two different architectural styles of both samurai and merchant residences, which can be rarely found in Japan. The Homma Family lived in the merchant-style part of the residence until 1945. In a single building, you can see the difference of the two styles through each architectural detail such as the quality of the wood, design of the floorboards and craftsmanship in the wall finish. The architecture and the family's art collections let you grasp the prosperity of the port city brought by kitamae-bune trading and the glory of the family who once flourished as the wealthiest merchants in Japan.