Former Ishibashi Residence, Machiya townhouse in Miyanomae, Itami, Japan

The Former Ishibashi Residence is a traditional wooden house that preserves original features of a merchant dwelling, including exposed wooden beams, sliding doors, and conventional room arrangements. The structure shows the typical layout of 19th-century homes with distinct areas for commerce and living.

The Former Ishibashi Residence is a late Edo period machiya that stood on the approach to Inano Shrine. After the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake raised awareness of preserving old buildings, it was dismantled, studied and rebuilt in 2001 beside the Former Okada Residence in the Miyanomae Cultural Village. It was designated a Hyogo Prefecture cultural property in 2001.

The house takes its name from the Ishibashi merchant family and stood on the approach to Inano Shrine before being moved here. Its shop front now serves as the Miyanomae Cultural Village shop, selling craft works, while the upper floor shows historical materials of the Miyanomae district.

The house stands in the Miyanomae cultural zone, about eight minutes on foot from either the Hankyu Itami or JR Itami station. It opens from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30, and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free.

The former kitchen remains intact, allowing visitors to see the cooking methods and storage techniques used by merchants in previous centuries. These functional spaces reveal everyday life beyond the formal living areas.