Sumiya is the center of tourism in the area and is operated as a museum , showing the secular culture of the Edo period. Sumiya is one of the very few non-temple, non-shrine, non-palace buildings in Kyoto to survive from the Edo period. It is the only remaining former ageya and is the largest machiya in Kyoto. Unlike most machiya, which are generally narrow, Sumiya has a large frontage on the street. This is because it consists of three buildings, purchased over the years. The middle is the oldest, dating to the founding in 1641 (or rather relocation of existing business to Shimabara), while the north part was acquired second (1673–80, approximately 30 years after founding), and the south part was acquired last (1787, over 100 years later). The pine great hall burnt down in a small fire in 1925, but the rest of the building is original. Many parts of the compound have been designated as important cultural properties, starting in 1952.