The Kimura were wholesalers that flourished from the mid-18th to mid-19th centuries. When Iwamura Domain encountered financial difficulty, the Kimura raised funds to help. For this reason, the domain’s lord recognized them as most honorable, and is said to have visited them often, which was quite unusual in those times for a lord to visit the homes of his subjects.

The Kimura residence retains the style of an Edo period town house, including the special entrance hall used by the lord of Iwamura, the warrior windows facing the main street to guard the lord, the samurai characteristic shoin architectural style split level room with transoms depicting views of the pine trees of Miho no Matsubara, a tearoom, and other highly formal facilities.

The Kimura residence’s former sake storehouse has iconic namako walls made by lining flat square tiles with beaded white plaster, as often seen on the exterior walls of feudal lords’ residences and castles because of their excellent fire resistance, heat and moisture repealing properties.