菊屋家住宅は、日本で最も古く、最もよく保存されている町屋（商人の家）の1つで、江戸時代（1751～1867年）後期の状態をほぼ保っている。このため、国の重要文化財に指定されている。
敷地内にはメインの建物である主屋、メインの倉庫である本蔵、宝物の倉庫である金蔵、厨房区域である釜場、米の倉庫である米蔵の五棟の建物が完全に修復されており、これら多くの建物は菊屋家の富を示しただけでなく、自宅、店舗、倉庫、会合の場としても機能した複合施設という役割も持っていた。主屋は、1652年から1657年の間に建てられて以来、今も現役で使用されている。
江戸時代は訪問者の階級と重要性によって入る門が決められていたため、菊屋家住宅には入口が複数ある。中でも、長屋門は、幕府からの賓客を迎え入れるためだけに使われていた。
菊屋家住宅には、菊屋家が所蔵する膨大な数の江戸時代の芸術品のほか、鍋や食器といった、菊屋家の日常生活を垣間見ることができるものも展示されている。
菊屋家住宅
菊屋家住宅是日本最古老、保存最完好的商賈宅邸之一。自江戶時代（1603-1867）後半葉以來，外觀幾乎沒有什麼變化。
宅邸內有5棟建築：主屋（也叫母屋，起居用建築物）、本藏（主要倉庫）、金藏（金庫）、窯場（廚房區域）和米藏（糧倉），均已完全修復，並被日本文化廳（ACA）指定為國家重要文化財產。這些建築不僅充分展現了菊屋家的雄厚財力，同時也告訴人們這處住宅的多樣用途，它既是生活起居、商鋪經營、存儲物品之處，也是社區集會場所。建於1652年至1657年間的主屋一直使用至今。
宅邸根據江戶時代的社會規則建了不同入口，依照賓客的階級和重要程度決定該從哪個入口進入宅邸，比如長屋門只在接待德川幕府的貴客時使用。
住宅內陳列著大量菊屋家的收藏，都是江戶時代的文物。除此以外，也展出了諸如炊具器皿類的生活用品，從中可以了解菊屋家的日常。
主屋、金藏和米藏的外牆被稱為「海參壁」，黑白相間，十分優雅美觀。牆外小巷被稱為「菊屋橫丁」，已被列入「日本道路百選」。每年新綠（4月中旬至6月下旬）和紅葉（10月初旬至11月末）季節，枯山水風格的迴遊式庭園會特別開放。
기쿠야 가문 주택은 일본에서 가장 오래되고 가장 잘 보존된 마치야(상가주택) 중 하나로, 에도 시대(1751~1867) 후기 당시의 상태를 대부분 유지하고 있습니다. 이러한 이유에서 일본 중요문화재로 지정되었습니다.
부지 내에는 메인 건물인 오모야, 메인 창고인 혼구라, 보물 창고인 가네구라, 주방 구역인 가마바, 쌀 창고인 고메구라까지 5채 건물이 복원되어 있는데, 대부분이 기쿠야 가문의 재력을 과시하는 것 외에도 자택과 점포, 창고, 회합의 장이라는 기능을 지닌 복합 시설의 역할도 맡고 있었습니다. 오모야는 1652년에서 1657년 사이에 지어진 이후, 지금도 실제로 사용되고 있는 건물입니다.
에도 시대에는 방문객의 계급과 중요도에 따라 이용할 수 있는 문이 정해져 있었기 때문에 기쿠야 가문 주택에는 입구가 많습니다. 그중에서도 나가야몬은 막부의 귀빈을 맞이하기 위한 용도로만 사용되었습니다.
기쿠야 가문 주택에는 기쿠야 가문이 소장하고 있는 방대한 양의 에도 시대 예술품 외에도 냄비와 식기 등 기쿠야 가문의 일상생활을 엿볼 수 있는 물품도 전시하고 있습니다.
The Kikuya family can trace their lineage back to the nobles of Settsu province (today part of both Osaka and Hyogo Prefecture) during the early Northern and Southern Courts period (1336–1392). During the early sixteenth century they were retainers of the Ouchi, a family who ruled several provinces in western Honshu from the castle town of Yamaguchi. The Ouchi were eliminated by the Mori in the 1550s, after which the Mori became the principal power in the region. With no family to serve, the Kikuya family renounced their samurai status and became merchants.
Even though merchants were the lowest social class, the Kikuya remained one of the domain’s preeminent families. In 1600, the Kikuya helped raise money for Mori Terumoto (1553–1625) and his retainers to return to Hiroshima from Kyoto after their side’s loss at the battle of Sekigahara. It was at this critical moment that the Kikuya family proved themselves as one of the Mori’s greatest allies. With their defeat, the Mori were forced to move their capital from Hiroshima to Hagi. The Kikuya came with them and helped to transform Hagi into the new center of the Mori family’s political and economic power. As a reward for their loyalty, the Kikuya were given the plot of land where their expansive residence has stood for over 400 years.
The Kikuya aided the development of Hagi by bringing merchants, craftsmen, and samurai in great numbers. Soon, Hagi was the tenth-largest town in Japan with a population of over 30,000. Many of the domain’s foot soldiers and middle-ranking retainers lived in a neighborhood that the Kikuya built to the north of their own residence. Even the town’s beach came to be called Kikuyahama, or “Kikuya Beach.”
For their service to the Mori the Kikuya were granted the title of goyotatsu, or official merchants to the Mori family. They also received the hereditary post of machidoshiyori, charged with the town’s government and upkeep. The Mori lords and their retainers often visited the Kikuya home to do business or relax. In this way, the Kikuya built not only a great fortune but a reputation as one of the new city’s most important families. When officials from the shogunate visited Hagi, they were often housed in the Kikuya mansion.
