Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum

Background

The Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum stands on Shiomi Nawate near Matsue Castle, right next to Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence, but the two are adjacent and separate places to visit. According to the museum's history, Hearn's students and associates promoted the founding of the museum, the Yakumo Society donated the building to Matsue City, and the opening ceremony was held on 6 June 1934. Today the museum uses personal belongings, manuscripts, texts and audiovisual exhibits to introduce the writer along themes such as his life, retold literature, journalism, education and views on life. While teaching in Matsue, Hearn came into contact with local life and legends, and he later wrote about Japanese folklore, ghost stories and his observations for a wider readership; the exhibition also shows how his works are read across different cultures. The present exterior was rebuilt against the background of preserving the historic landscape of Shiomi Nawate, and in 2016 the museum was expanded and its displays rearranged. You can use the museum as a place to understand his writing and life, then go to the former residence next door to see the space he lived in at the time; do not confuse the histories and tickets of the two buildings.

Local customs

• The memorial museum is a literary exhibition space
• for photography, filming and eating in the galleries, follow the current signs and staff instructions, and do not touch personal belongings or exhibits. The former residence next door is a separate facility, so check its opening, tickets and photography rules before entering. Shiomi Nawate is also a street used by residents and vehicles, so do not block traffic when taking photos at the entrance.

Religion & beliefs

The museum may introduce Hearn's observations of Japanese folklore, religion and ghost stories, but the museum itself is not a place of worship. For the beliefs and supernatural themes in the stories, it is best to understand their literary and local cultural context with the help of the exhibition explanations, rather than writing legends up as verified historical events.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• The museum's address is 322 Okudanichō, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. From JR Matsue Station, take the city sightseeing bus to "Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan-mae", about 16 minutes, or take a city bus to "Shiomi Nawate" and walk about 5 minutes
• journey times vary with traffic. It is about a 20-minute walk from Matsue Shinjiko-Onsen Station on the Ichibata Railway. To visit only the memorial museum and read the main displays, allow about 45–75 minutes
• if you also enter the neighbouring former residence and photograph the Shiomi Nawate streetscape, allow about 1.5–2 hours, adjusting to your own reading pace. Tickets for the memorial museum and the former residence can be bought separately, and the museum also lists a combined ticket
• opening hours vary by season and the museum may close temporarily for maintenance, so check its current visitor information before you go. The museum has no dedicated car park, so if you drive, use nearby parking facilities. The photo was taken in 2008, before the 2016 expansion, and does not represent the full appearance of today's museum building.