The most famous local specialty of Tomonoura is hōmeishu, a medicinal liqueur. You can only find it here in Tomonoura, where it has been made since the Edo period (1603–1868).

The Ōta Residence, where hōmeishu storehouses stand around the main residence, is regarded as the birthplace of hōmeishu. Because it retains its original appearance, the Ōta Residence was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1991.

The buildings that make up this residence were built by the Nakamura family, which flourished as the only hōmeishu producer from the mid to late Edo period. During the Meiji period (1868–1912), ownership of the residence was transferred to the Ōta family, which ran a shipping agency. Today, the Ōta Residence stands as a symbol of the historic townscape that makes up Tomonoura.