Homma Museum of Art

• Name — Homma Museum of Art • Native Name — 本間美術館 • Address — 7-7 Onari-chō • Location Town — Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture • Location Country — Japan • Opened Date — 1947 • Website — http: www.homma-museum.or.jp • Footnotes — National Palace of Scenic Beauty

The Seienkaku residence was built in 1813 by the fourth head of the 本間氏, Junji Homma, who was a noted collector of Japanese swords and chairman of the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai. The Homma family was one of the great merchant houses of Sakata during the Edo Period, growing rich on the kitamaebune coastal trade and by moneylending. During the Meiji period, they were one of then largest landowners in the Tohoku region of Japan. The Seienkaku villa was built as a secondary residence and guest house. Visitors include members of the Sakai and Uesugi clans, former daimyō of the Shōnai and Yonezawa Domains, as well as in 1925 the future Shōwa emperor. A second story was added to the wooden building in 1908 in advance of a planned visit by the future Taishō emperor. It was opened as an art museum from 1947, and a modern annex was added in 1968.

• Illustration — Kakubu-en The Kakubu-en or "Dancing Crane" Gardens, is designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty. It incorporates Mount Chōkai by way of borrowed scenery.

The folk song 'Homma Sama is out of our reach but we wanna be Tonosama at least' shows the prosperity of the Homma family when "Tonosama" as the top of warrior class was ranked highest according to the social class system (Emperor, Court Nobility, Shōgun, Daimyō, Samurai, Peasants, Craftsmen and Merchants) established in the early Edo period (See also Edo period#Society).