🗺️ Old Chiba Family Residence (Nishikuni Highway)旧千葉家住宅（西国街道）

The Nishi-Kaido was a major highway connecting Kyoto to Shimonoseki (Yamaguchi Prefecture) and Kyushu during the Edo period (1603–1868). Kaita Town was a post town along the Nishi-Kaido and thrived for a time. About a 5-minute walk from JR Kaita City Station, the impressive mansion standing across the street was the former residence of the Chiba family, where officials from the shogunate and daimyo families once stayed and rested. The former Chiba family residence consists of the main house used as a living space, the guesthouse (zashiki), the corner house used as a kitchen, and a garden known as Izuntei. Among these, the guesthouse built in 1774 in the Sukiya-zukuri style still retains the appearance of a reception space from that time and has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Hiroshima Prefecture. Additionally, the garden, believed to have been renovated during the same period, is also designated as a scenic spot by Hiroshima Prefecture.

The old residence of the Chiba family in Kaita Town, which prospered as a post town during the Edo period, still remains. It once hosted officials from the shogunate and daimyo families. The tatami room is designated as an important cultural asset of the prefecture, preserving the appearance of a reception space from that time. The garden, known as Izunitei, is also designated as a scenic spot of the prefecture.