Taito City Culture Guide Book, The Ichiyo Memorial Museum

To the website of the IIchiyo Memorial Museum

Taito City Ichiyo Memorial Museum opened in Ryusenji-machi in 1961. Ichiyo Higuchi took up residence in this area for some time. Her famous novel "Takekurabe" is also set in the area. The hall reopened after remodeling in 2006. (Ryusen 3-chome, Taito City)

IIchiyo Memorial Museum's Website

●Click the above Podcast icon
●For the usage of Podcasting, click here
●For the download of iTunes、click here

Reading desk that is said to have been used by Ichiyo (reproduction, created by Matsutaro Watanabe) -- the original is kept in the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature.

The Ichiyo Memorial Museum, which was reopened in November, 2006, is located in Ryusen (Shitaya Ryusenji-machi), where Ichiyo (Natsu, Natsuko) Higuchi took up residence. Although the overall appearance of the hall is very modernistic, the exterior walls of the 1st floor are black wooden walls. Once you enter the hall, you will find the interior structure which is modeled after warm wooden walls of town houses, and feel as if you step in a town house in the old days when Ichiyo was alive.
Charms of nostalgic town houses and alleys are still left in the Ryusen area. When you stroll in the alleys, you could feel as if Ichiyo trotted up from an alley. Her experience in the Ryusen area is clearly reflected in her famous novel "Takekurabe" and others.

The monument of "Takekurabe"
The monument of "Takekurabe" stands in the Ichiyo Memorial Park that faces the Ichiyo Memorial Hall. Two poems by Nobutsuna Sasaki are inscribed on the monument.

The monument, on which Kan Kikuchi's compliment to Ichiyo is inscribed, stands in front of the Ichiyo Memorial Park. You can see the words "Composed by Kan Kikuchi" on the monument.