| Japan Heritage Kisoji |
| Cultural Properties |
| Travel Column |
The Takase family members were retainers of the local governor, Yamamura, and served as checkpoint guards. A lady named Sono married into the family. She was an elder sister of the literary great, Toson Shimazaki, whose novel begins “The entire Kisoji is in the mountains.”
An elder sister of Toson Shimazaki married into the Takase family. The family is famous for being the model for his novel “A Family.” Their residence is now a museum and displays photos and letters related to Shimazaki. Walk from the parking lot through the Path of First Love, which was named after one of Shimazaki’s pieces of poetry, and you will reach the Takases’ Residence ＆ Museum. Please enjoy the museum along with the nearby Fukushima Sekisho Museum.
Various documents are displayed, such as letters and personal artifacts of Shimazaki, books of the art of war inherited by the Takase family, documents of the Kiso Valley from the Edo period, picture maps of the Kiso Road, and documents on pharmaceutics.
Ms. Kaoru Kumagai, who is living in the Takases’ Residence
We interviewed Ms. Kaoru Kumagai. She lives in the Takases’ Residence.
“The Takase family served the governor Yamamura as mentors in gunnery, accountants, and personal attendants. They also manufactured and sold a drug named Kiogan, which was offered in tribute to the Tokugawa clan. Sono, an elder sister of Toson Shimazaki, married into the family that owned this residence in 1874, and Shimazaki himself came to visit here often. His novel ‘A Family’ is modeled after the family. The female character Okume in his novel ‘Before the Dawn’ is modeled after his sister Sono,” she said.
"Even now, I, her descendant, live here and maintain the residence myself. In this sense, the novel ‘A Family’ has a sequel.” *laughs*
“It’s great to live in the sequel of a novel.
“You have a museum in the back?”
“Yes. This is a private museum. I value closeness with people. “I serve Japanese tea when I have time to spare. Once a visitor told me that, on his journey through Japan, this was his first museum where a manager welcomed him in person and served tea.” *laughs*
Because my family home has become famous and I have talked to many people, I feel very attached to this residence. *laughs* This is not a big house, but I feel very happy when I have tea together with visiting tourists.
Entrance to the museum
A stately garden
Various documents on display
Various documents on display
As I live here, some space is being used to store things. I wish to clear up the space and change it into an exhibit area. I’d be glad if my visitors feel happy to have visited this town.”
Ms. Kumagai talked with a smile the whole time, and she made us feel alive.
Various documents are displayed, such as letters and personal artifacts of Shimazaki, books of the art of war inherited by the Takase family, documents of the Kiso Valley from the Edo period, picture maps of the Kiso Road, and documents on pharmaceutics.
20 minutes’ walk
From the Ina Interchange on National road 361, 40 minutes by car
4788 Fukushima, Kiso Town, Kiso-gun, Nagano Prefecture
Phone:0264-22-2802
| View All Cultural Properties |
| ||||
|
