Furukawaya was the name of a shipping business that flourished in the latter half of the Edo period (1603–1867). It specialized in transporting goods from northern Japan to Obama and the Kyoto-Osaka area, as well as in sake brewing, soy sauce production, and moneylending. Furukawaya was also an official purveyor of goods for the Obama domain.
The villa with a traditional Japanese garden was constructed in 1815, at the height of the business’s prosperity under Furukawaya Kadayu Noriyoshi, the fifth head of the family. Several steps lead to the cedar doors of the entranceway, beyond which lies a large shoin (drawing room) that can be divided into two by sliding panels. The walls are decorated with murals, and all paintings on the sliding screens, doors, and cabinets were done by artists from the Kano school, the preeminent school of painting in the Edo period.
Straight-grained Japanese cedar was used for the wooden elements of the villa, including the ceiling, the square support columns, and the lattice frames of each shoji sliding door. To make the room feel more spacious and offer a better view of the garden, the shoin was built without columns that would normally be placed in the outer corners, an advanced architectural technique that is rare even today.
The lord of the Obama domain occasionally visited the Furukawaya villa, and the garden designed to be appreciated from the shoin was cultivated specifically for his enjoyment. Using the principle of shakkei (“borrowed scenery”), the garden incorporates the view of Mt. Wakaoji in the distance. Artfully placed rocks and plants within the garden represent a view of Mt. Penglai (Mt. Horai in Japanese), a sacred mountain of ancient Chinese legend which is often included as one of the features of a traditional Japanese garden. A small second-floor room with red earthen walls offers a different view of the garden and the mountains.
The villa is designated a Tangible Cultural Property by Fukui Prefecture.
