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9 places related to historical celebrities who loved Kanagawa

神奈川を愛した歴史的著名人たちゆかりの地 9選

Kanagawa Prefecture is dotted with places associated with ``writers and artists.''

Kanagawa was loved and lived in by famous people who left their mark on history, including Hirobumi Ito, the first Prime Minister, and Shigeru Yoshida, Natsume Soseki, and Hakushu Kitahara, who served as Prime Ministers after the war.
Here, we will introduce places that are associated with famous people who live today.

Why not rediscover the charm of Kanagawa by visiting places associated with famous people and remembering the people and the history of the time?

《1》 Shigeru Yoshida, a representative postwar politician, lived there
[Former Shigeru Yoshida residence] (Oiso)


Shigeru Yoshida (life size)
Shigeru Yoshida is 155cm tall (according to the passport he used when visiting Europe and America)

Shigeru Yoshida (1878-1967) was a foreign affairs official who served as a consul, secretary, and ambassador in various foreign countries before the war, and after the war he served a total of five terms (six years, two He is a representative postwar politician who served as Prime Minister for several months.

The former Shigeru Yoshida residence (Oiso Town Local Museum annex) located in Oiso Shiroyama Park was purchased by Shigeru Yoshida's adoptive father Kenzo in 1884 and built as a villa, and was built by Shigeru Yoshida in the Showa era. He lived there from around 1945 until the end of his life in 1967. The mansion was destroyed by fire in March 2009, but reconstruction work has since been carried out and it has been open to the public since 2017.


Former Yoshida Shigeru residence seen from the Japanese garden

entrance

Maple room (reception room)

It was used as a reception room and contained Shigeru Yoshida's office desk and sofa set.

Exhibition/rest room

His favorite coats, walking sticks, cigar cases, documents, and more are on display.

Shigeru Yoshida was also called the "Japanese Churchill." Western clothing is British style. His trademarks were suits made in London, England, pince-nez, canes, hats, and cigars.

Kin no Ma (living room)

A reception room where guests were entertained. You can see the mountains of Hakone, Mt. Fuji, and Sagami Bay.


Shigeru Yoshida loved the view of Mt. Fuji from this room, and apparently looked at it almost every day.

Nationally registered tangible cultural property located in the former Yoshida Shigeru residence area
The following ``Kabutomon'', ``Sunroom (greenhouse)'', and ``Shichikendo'' survived the fire and were designated as valuable buildings that still retain their original appearance. It was registered as a tangible cultural property.

helmet gate
This gate was built to commemorate the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, and is also known as the "Peace Treaty Gate." It is also called ``Kabutomon'' (helmet gate) because it has a curved notch at the edge of the eaves, resembling the shape of a helmet.

Sunroom (greenhouse)
Shigeru Yoshida loved plants, and had tropical plants such as bougainvillea planted in his sunroom.

Shichikendo
Seven people were enshrined here: Tomomi Iwakura, Toshimichi Okubo, Sanetomi Sanjo, Takamasa Kido, Hirobumi Ito, Kinmochi Saionji, and Shigeru Yoshida. The words ``Shichikendo'' on the plaque on the front were written by former Prime Minister Eisaku Sato.

Shigeru Yoshida bronze statue

It stands facing the direction of the United States, where the San Francisco Peace Treaty was concluded in 1951. On a clear day, you can see Izu Oshima, the Izu Peninsula, Sagami Bay, the Boso Peninsula, and more from near the statue.

[Former Shigeru Yoshida residence (Oiso Town Local Museum Annex)]
<Address> 418 Nishikoiso, Oiso-cho, Naka-gun, Kanagawa (inside Oiso Shiroyama Prefectural Park)
〈TEL〉0463-61-4700
<Opening hours> 9:00-16:30 (Admission until 16:00)
<Closed> Mondays, the 1st of every month (in the case of a holiday, the next weekday) / New Year's holidays (December 29th to January 3rd)
<Viewing fee> General ¥500 (¥450) / Junior high and high school students ¥200 (¥150) *Until March 2020 * Group fees are in parentheses
*After April 1, 2020: Adults ¥510 (¥460) / Junior and senior high school students ¥210 (¥160)
<URL> http://www.town.oiso.kanagawa.jp/oisomuseum/


[2] Named by Hirofumi Ito! Over 100 years of history and famous people from all over the world have visited
[Motoyu Kansuiro] (Hakone)

Main building exterior


View of the main building from Hayakawa

Annex exterior

Motoyu Kansuiro is a historic hot spring inn that opened as a spa in Hakone Tonosawa in 1614. Starting with Mito Mitsukuni who ascended to the throne in the middle of the Edo period, Empress Kazunomiya who colored the turbulent end of the Edo period, Atsuhime Tenshoin, Ito Hirobumi, Katsura Kogoro, and Togo Heihachiro who led Japan immediately after civilization and enlightenment, Natsume Soseki and Shimazaki who are representative of modern literature. Fujimura and others visited Kansuiro and made it their permanent residence.

The current building consists of a three-story wooden main building built in 1919, and a four-story new building built in 1924, making it one of the few wooden buildings in Japan. As a high-rise building, it has also been designated as a registered tangible cultural property of the country.

There are three elegant large halls in the building that are made from precious woods such as cedar, cherry blossoms, and paulownia.

Great hall “Jindaikaku”

A large hall made of the highest quality Jindai cedar* found in the Hakone mountains. The ceiling is a double folded coffered ceiling.
*Jindai cedar: Cedar wood that is hundreds of years old and has been buried underground or underwater for more than 1,000 years.

Inside the museum, famous books and masterpieces left behind by famous people from all over the world who visited Kansuiro are also on display.

Kansuiro calligraphy written by Hirobumi Ito

Hirobumi Ito wrote in the Chinese poem ``Katsureshan, Shimosuuiunsumi, Kansuirou head, Suirokukai, Raizusuirandankosake, Suirenkage Rakusho Chuhai,'' which he sent to Suzuki Zenzaemon, the master of the tower at the time. The name comes from the three characters ``Suiro''.

Furniture related to the last princess of the Edo period, Seikan-innomiya Kazumiya (three-leaf hollyhock crest)
Seikan-in Shrine Kazunomiya (1846 - 1877) was a shrine that was used for medical treatment. Then passed away. The related furniture is stamped with the crest of a three-leaf hollyhock. Tenshoin (Atsuhime), the 13th Shogun's Odaidokoro, went up to the tower around 1880, saying, ``I want to go to Kansuiro, the place where the Japanese Imperial Palace ended.'' It is said that he cried as he thought of his late Kazunomiya while looking out at the flowing Hayakawa River.

The room

(Image provided by) Motoyu Kansuiro

The rooms range from old-fashioned style rooms with plenty of precious wood to rooms with open-air baths. It has a unique and emotional structure that reflects the craftsmanship and attention to detail of the craftsmen, and has the atmosphere of good old Japanese architecture.

Taisho bath

(Image provided by) Motoyu Kansuiro

The hot springs are 100% free flowing from the source, and the spring quality is a simple alkaline hot spring with a pH of 8.9 that is highly effective for beautifying the skin.It is a high-quality natural hot spring that is gentle on the skin and warms the body to the core. In addition, there is an open-air bath, a private bath, and a rock bath Healing Stone Spa.

Kaiseki-style cuisine (example)

(Image provided by) Motoyu Kansuiro

The dishes are monthly kaiseki-style dishes that use plenty of ingredients from the mountains of Hakone and seafood from Sagami Bay and Odawara.

[Kansuiro]
<Address> 88 Tonosawa, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
〈TEL〉0460-85-5511
<URL> https://www.kansuiro.co.jp/


《3》A villa built by Hirobumi Ito, who loved the scenic views
[Former Ito Hirobumi Kanazawa Villa] (Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama City)

front entrance

The former Ito Hirobumi Kanazawa Villa located in Nojima Park was built in 1898 by Ito Hirobumi, who was the first Prime Minister and played a major role in the early days of constitutional politics, including drafting the Constitution of the Empire of Japan. It is a country-style beachfront villa with a thatched hipped roof built in the 19th century. It is said that Hirobumi Ito liked to build the temple in Kanazawa, which is scenic and similar to his hometown of Yamaguchi, and was visited by Emperor Taisho and the Crown Prince of Korea.

In November 2006, it was designated as a Yokohama designated tangible cultural property, but due to the building's deterioration, it was demolished and surveyed in 2007, and no longer exists. It has been decided that all parts of the building will be restored to its original appearance when it was first built.

Inside the residence, many documents and furniture related to Hirobumi Ito are on display. Through the exhibits, you can gain a new understanding of Hirofumi's achievements and personality.

exterior

It consists of three buildings: a guest room, a living room, and a kitchen.The prestigious guest room extends out to a position with a good view of the ocean, and the other buildings are connected by corridors in a geese-like layout.

[Guest room (high class guest room)]

The guest room wing was used by the Emperor, Crown Prince, and other members of the imperial family when they visited the residence.

Tatami-floored hallway


Chronology and historical facts are displayed on the walls.

guest toilet

Wooden urinal finished with real lacquer (the urinal is also finished with real lacquer)

The inside is wooden, and the water stall where you wash your hands is tatami-matted. The toilet used by Hirobumi was located in the living room wing of the private space, and the toilet bowl was a simple wooden one.

Seiran Room

The plate glass for the glass doors in the parlor building could not be produced in Japan at the time of the building, so it was shipped from Belgium. Even now, you can still see the distortion and bubbles that appear to be hand-blown.

A board transom with a carving of a phoenix that has been passed down since the time of its construction.

During the return sail
Meiji period pine trees are planted all around the building. The scenery is so calm and beautiful that you want to look at it forever.

Hirobumi Ito's handwriting
The gold folding screen placed in the tokonoma was written by Hirobumi Ito in Kanazawa. ``Shunbo'' is Hirofumi's name. The comparison of the lotus to the flower of a gentleman embodies Ito Hirobumi's dedication to his country.

[Living room building (Private spaces such as Hirofumi's study and bedroom)]

The name of the living room was taken from Hiroshige Utagawa's ukiyo-e painting ``Kanazawa-e (Hakkei Kanazawa)''.

Between the autumn moon

Look into the sunset room

"Akizuki no Ma" is from "Seto no Shugetsu"
``Yusteru no Ma'' is from ``Nojima no Sekisho''

bathroom

A wooden box bath made of Spanish mackerel wood that was also used by guests visiting the residence.

Peony garden

From mid-April to early May every year, Kanazawa's peony flowers bloom in the garden. Events are also held in conjunction with the flowering.

[Former Ito Hirobumi Kanazawa Villa (inside Nojima Park)]
<Address> 24 Nojima-cho, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa (within Nojima Park)
〈TEL〉045-788-1919
<Opening hours> 9:30-16:30 (Peony Garden 9:00-17:00)
*Until 17:30 in April and May (9:00-18:00 at Peony Garden) *Until 15:30 in December and January (9:00-16:00 at Peony Garden)
<Closed> 1st and 3rd Monday of the month (in the case of a holiday, the next day)
*Open every Monday in April and May *Every Monday in December and January (the next day if it is a holiday)
*New Year holidays (December 29th to January 3rd)
<Admission fee> Free
<URL> http://www.hama-midorinokyokai.or.jp/park/nojima/hakubuntei/


[There's more! Places associated with famous people]

《4》It was called the ``back room of the Meiji political world''
[Meiji Memorial Oiso House Garden] (Oiso)

In Oiso, eight former prime ministers during the Meiji era, including Hirobumi Ito, Aritomo Yamagata, and Shigenobu Okuma, owned buildings, and important figures from the Meiji political world gathered there and built villas and mansions. Since then, it has been called the ``back room of the Meiji political world.''

The Oiso Residence Center is centered on the former residence of the first Prime Minister, Hirobumi Ito, ``Sourokaku,'' as well as the former villas of Shigenobu Okuma, Kimmochi Saionji, and Munemitsu Mutsu.
*Currently not open to the public. In the summer of 2020, the gardens of the Mutsu Munemitsu villa and the former Okuma Shigenobu villa are scheduled to be opened to the public.

Former Canglangkaku (remains of Ito Hirobumi residence/former Lee family villa)

(Image provided by) Oiso Town Local Museum

Hirobumi Ito moved his villa from Odawara in 1896 and named it ``Shoronokaku''. Of the buildings that were rebuilt after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Western-style building and Japanese-style building remain in their original condition. As a representative building of Oiso, a villa area, it has been designated as a tangible cultural property by the town.

*The former Cōronokaku, which was the Ito family's main residence, was transferred to the Lee family in 1920 after Hirofumi's death. Afterwards, it collapsed due to a major earthquake and was rebuilt as a villa for the Lee Wang family, the owners at the time. For this reason, it is written as the "remains" of the Ito Hirobumi residence.

Current Cangronokaku

(Image provided by) Oiso Town Local Museum

Museum

(Image provided by) Oiso Town Local Museum

Former Okuma Shigenobu Villa/Former Koga Villa (Exterior)
(Image provided by) Oiso Town Local Museum

Former Okuma Shigenobu Villa/Former Koga Villa (Kamidai-no-ma)
(Image provided by) Showa Memorial Park Office Oiso branch office

Shigenobu Okuma (1838-1922) served as Prime Minister in 1898 and 1914 , and formed Japan's first political party cabinet. , founded Waseda University.

*The mansion Okuma purchased in 1897 withstood the earthquake and left no traces in order to preserve its original appearance. It was then sold to the Koga family and managed as a villa.

Mutsu Munemitsu Villa Ruins/Former Koga Villa Japanese Garden

(Image provided by) Showa Memorial Park Office Oiso branch office

Mutsu Munemitsu (1844-1897) served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the second Ito Hirobumi cabinet and worked to revise unequal treaties.

Mutsu Munemitsu Villa Ruins/Former Koga Villa Japanese Room

(Image provided by) Showa Memorial Park Office Oiso branch office

*The former Mutsu residence was a villa for medical treatment. After Mutsu Munemitsu's death, it became the villa of the Koga family, the adopted family of his second son (Junkichi). After part of the building collapsed due to the Great Earthquake, it was renovated by Koga, and the renovated villa has been managed to this day.

[Meiji Memorial Oiso House Garden]
<Address> 85 Nishikoiso, Oiso-cho, Naka-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture, etc.
〈TEL〉0463-79-8700 (Showa Kinen Park Office Oiso branch office)


《5》Remembering the achievements of Hakushu Kitahara, a poet who wrote many nursery rhymes
[Hakushu Doyokan] (Odawara)

exterior
(Image provided by) Odawara City Kamome Library

Hakushu Children's Song Museum is the work of Hakushu Kitahara (1885-1942), a poet known for writing many nursery rhymes such as "Karatachi no Hana," "Konomichi," and "Machi Boke." ) is a facility commemorating the achievements of Hakushu moved to Odawara in 1918 at the age of 33 and lived there for eight years until 1926.

The Hakushu Doyokan building is a villa built by Count Mitsuaki Tanaka, a former Minister of the Imperial Household, around 1924, around the time that Hakushu Kitahara was living in Odawara. It is an impressive Japanese-style building with a light, tower-like design, and has been designated as a registered tangible cultural property of the country.

Interior view

(Image provided by) Odawara City Kamome Library

(Image provided by) Odawara City Kamome Library

In addition to original nursery rhymes, the museum also has a section devoted to Mother Goose, a traditional British nursery rhyme that Hakushu translated for the first time in Japan.

◎A little episode◎
About his masterpiece "Karatachi no Hana" Hakushu created this work on May 13, 1924, while living in Odawara, and it has a connection with childhood memories and the Karatachi no Hana he saw on the mountain path near his home. I wrote this in my review. Based on this anecdote, a monument was erected in Odawara City called ``Karadachi Flower Path,'' and Karatachi trees were planted by the citizens.

[Hakushu Doyokan (Odawara Literature Museum Annex)]
<Address> 2-3-4 Minamicho, Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Access: 20 minutes walk from the east exit of Odawara Station
〈TEL〉0465-22-9881 (Odawara Literature Museum)
<Opening hours> 9:00-17:00 (Admission until 16:30)
<Admission fee> *Same as Odawara Literature Museum
Adults ¥250 (¥180 for groups of 20 or more)
Elementary and junior high school students: ¥100 (¥70 for groups of 20 or more people)
<URL> http://www.city.odawara.kanagawa.jp/public-i/facilities/literature-museum/douyoukan.html


《6》Hot spring inn where Natsume Soseki stayed for a long time
[Amanoya/(main building) now Yugawara Town Museum of Art] (Yugawara)

Amanoya (new building)
*The new building is currently closed, demolished, and no longer exists (Image provided by Yugawara Municipal Museum of Art)

Amanoya was founded in 1877. It was a long-established inn representing Yugawara, and was a regular lodging for famous people such as Hirobumi Ito and Soseki Natsume, and also appeared in Natsume Soseki's novel ``Meikan.'' However, the new building was closed in 2005. . The main building was renovated and opened in 1998 as the Yugawara-related art museum, and in 2006 it was renamed the Yugawara Municipal Museum of Art, and is still crowded with visitors.

Yugawara Municipal Museum of Art (formerly Amanoya Main Building)
(Image provided by) Yugawara Town Museum of Art

In 2006, the ``Hiramatsu Reiji Museum'' was opened to display the works of Reiji Hiramatsu, a Japanese painter who is active at the forefront of the Japanese art world. was renamed the Yugawara Town Museum of Art. In 2017, we opened the ``Reiji Hiramatsu Visible Atelier,'' and the Japanese painter's atelier is open to the public at any time.

The adjacent museum cafe "and garden" serves tofu and yuba dishes. While sitting on the terrace, you can also enjoy a footbath drawn from Yugawara's hot springs.

[Yugawara Town Museum of Art]
<Address> 623-1 Miyakami, Yugawara-cho, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
〈TEL〉0465-63-7788
<Opening hours> 9:00-16:30 (Admission until 16:00)
<Closed days> Every Wednesday (open on public holidays), December 28th to December 31st, temporary closing days for exhibition changes, etc.
<Admission fee> Adults ¥600 (¥500), Elementary and junior high school students ¥300 (¥200)
* ( ) indicates groups of 15 or more people * Free admission for those with a disability certificate. Town residents receive a town resident discount.
<URL> https://www.town.yugawara.kanagawa.jp/kyoiku/museum/


[7] Writers and painters who loved Yugawara visited! ?
[Manyo Park] (Yugawara)

Manyo Park in autumn leaves
(Image provided by) Yugawara Onsen Tourism Association

Manyo Park was selected as one of Japan's top 100 historical parks. The garden is planted with flowers that appear in the Manyoshu poem about Yugawara Onsen.

Manyo Park may have been visited by many famous people who loved Yugawara, such as Natsume Soseki, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Kunikida Doppo, Tanizaki Junichiro, and Yosano Akiko. I feel like a good idea will come to me while I'm walking around!

◎Origin of the park name◎
``Don't let your child be dependent on the world of hot springs in the Kawachi area of Toi in Ashigara.''
(Izuru Yuno on the edge of Ashikari no Tohin's corner, without a rolling voice)
*Manyoshu Volume 14 Toka 3368 Songs

On the banks of the river in Toi, Ashigara, the steam from the hot spring gushing out floats unsteadily in the sky, and she never tells him that their relationship is unreliable. (I can't help but feel hopeless). This is a story about the feelings of a man who is so in love that he becomes anxious.

*Doi is the former name of the Yugawara area

This poem is the only one among the 4,500 poems in the Manyoshu collection, and is about hot springs bubbling up all the time, and is written about Yugawara Onsen as the ``Sashikari no Toi Song.''
The original text of this monument is in the handwriting of Takeuchi Seiho. (Original text is on display at the Yugawara Municipal Museum of Art) Based on the connection with this song, around 1952, Dr. Nobutsuna Sasaki, a scholar of waka who lived in Atami, suggested, ``Let's create Manyo Park in Yugawara.'' The current Manyo Park is said to have been built by the local people who received his suggestion and with the guidance and advice of Dr.

[Manyo Park]
<Address> 566 Miyakami, Yugawara-cho, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
〈TEL〉0465-63-2111 (Yugawara Town Tourism Division)
<Opening hours/Admission fee/Closed days> Free admission, free of charge, open all year round
<URL> https://www.yugawara.or.jp/sightseeing/722/

*Since park renewal construction will begin on April 1, 2020, the park and Yugawara Tourist Hall will be unavailable for one year.


《8》Many works by great writers related to Kamakura are exhibited
[Kamakura Literature Museum] (Kamakura)

exterior
(Image provided by) Kamakura Literature Museum

The Kamakura Museum of Literature was built in 1936 as a Western-style villa of the former Maeda Marquis family, the lineage of the Kaga Hyakumangoku feudal lord, and was taken over by Kamakura City, renovated and renovated, and opened in 1985. ) Opens in November. In May 2000, it was registered as a national tangible cultural property. The museum exhibits handwritten manuscripts and letters by Kamakura writers Yasunari Kawabata and Jun Takami, as well as literary figures associated with the city, such as Natsume Soseki and Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

Permanent exhibition room
(Image provided by) Kamakura Literature Museum

Terrace seats outside the lounge
(Image provided by) Kamakura Literature Museum

On clear days, you can even see Oshima!

rose garden
(Image provided by) Kamakura Literature Museum

In the rose garden on the south side of the garden, you can enjoy about 250 roses of 200 varieties, and events are held in conjunction with the best viewing times in spring and fall. The garden with a wonderful view overlooking Yuigahama is also attractive.

[Kamakura Literature Museum]
<Address> 1-5-3 Hasaya, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
〈TEL〉 0467-23-3911
<Opening hours> 9:00-17:00 (March-September) / 9:00-16:30 (October-February)
*Last admission is 30 minutes in advance.
〈Closed〉Mondays (open if Monday is a holiday) *Closed during exhibit changeover period, special rearrangement period, etc.
<Admission fee> Collection exhibition ¥300/Special exhibition ¥300 to ¥500 (varies depending on the exhibition)
<URL> http://www.kamakurabungaku.com/


Extra edition: Celebrities like these are also in Kanagawa! !

《9》Currently open! A long-established restaurant connected to Ryoma Sakamoto's wife, Oryo.
[Tanaka family] (Yokohama/Kanagawa Ward)

exterior
(Image provided by) Tanaka family

The Tanaka family was founded in 1863. Due to its proximity to the opening of the port, it was patronized by Shinsaku Takasugi of the Choshu domain, and there is an anecdote that he and Ito Hirobumi, Saigo Takamori, and others hatched a plan to overthrow the shogunate. In addition, Oryo, the wife of Sakamoto Ryoma, a patriot at the end of the Edo period, worked as a live-in waitress for a few years in her 30s after being introduced to him by Kaishu Katsu.
It also has items related to Natsume Soseki, such as his calligraphy.

Its predecessor was Sakuraya, which was also depicted in the ukiyo-e print of Hiroshige Utagawa's ``The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Kanagawa.''


(Image provided by) Tanaka family
"Sakura-ya" is the third house from the top of the hill in the image.

(Image provided by) Tanaka family

Why not enjoy the atmosphere and cuisine of Edo?

[Tanaka family]
Address: 11-1 Daimachi, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture (about 7 minutes walk from the west exit of JR Yokohama Station)
〈TEL〉045-311-2621
<URL> https://www.tanakaya1863.co.jp/

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