Bunkyo City Mori Ogai Memorial Museum

In short

The Bunkyo City Mori Ogai Memorial Museum stands on the former site of Kancho-ro, the residence where Mori Ogai lived with his family for 30 years. It opened in 2012, marking the 150th anniversary of Ogai's birth. The museum introduces Ogai, who had many facets as a novelist, playwright, critic, translator, and army surgeon.

• ​The Great Ginkgo Tree from the Kancho-ro Era​​: Standing in the garden is a large ginkgo tree that survived even after Kancho-ro was destroyed by fire.
• ​The Stone of Sannin Jogo​​: This is the stone that Ogai sat on when he posed for a photograph in this garden with Koda Rohan and Saito Ryokuu.
• ​A Salon for Tanka Gatherings​​: Tanka poetry meetings were held at Kancho-ro, visited by figures such as Ishikawa Takuboku and Saito Mokichi.

History and Highlights

The ​Bunkyo City Mori Ogai Memorial Museum​ is built on the grounds of Kancho-ro, the former residence of Mori Ogai. Ogai moved here in 1892 at the age of 30. He lived here with his family until his death in 1922 at the age of 60. It is said that the distant sea could be seen from the second floor of the house, which led Ogai to name it Kancho-ro (Tide-Viewing House). Numerous literary masterpieces, including Seinen, Gan (The Wild Geese), and Takasebune, were written here.

Kancho-ro also served as the venue for tanka poetry gatherings organized by Ogai. Ishikawa Takuboku, Saito Mokichi, and Kinoshita Mokutaro also attended these Kancho-ro gatherings. It is said that the young attendees called Ogai the "maître of Sendagi," meaning master or teacher. Kancho-ro was truly a salon for literary figures.

After Ogai's passing, most of the main house of Kancho-ro was burned down by an accidental fire in 1937. In 1945, war damage burned down everything except the ginkgo tree, the paving stones of the gate, the Stone of Sannin Jogo, and a few other remnants. The site was designated a Tokyo Metropolitan Historic Site in 1950. In 1962, a municipal library featuring a Mori Ogai Memorial Room was opened. The current memorial museum opened on November 1, 2012, the 150th anniversary of Ogai's birth.

Viewing and Experience Points

• ​The Great Ginkgo Tree and the Stone of Sannin Jogo​​: In the garden stands the great ginkgo tree that has been there since the Kancho-ro era. Behind it lies the Stone of Sannin Jogo. In April 1897, Ogai posed for a photograph in this garden with Koda Rohan and Saito Ryokuu. The stone Ogai sat on at that time remains today. The three had serialized "Sannin Jogo" (Idle Talk by Three Men), in which they reviewed new literary works, in Mezamashigusa, a magazine edited by Ogai. It was also in this serialization that they highly praised Higuchi Ichiyo's Takekurabe.
• ​Bust and "Sara no Ki" Poetry Monument​​: In 1954, for the 33rd-year memorial observance (33-kaiki) of Ogai's death, a bust of Ogai and a monument bearing the poem "Sara no Ki" (The Sal Tree) were installed.
• ​Scraped Brick Building​​: Designed by Toki Fumio, the building maintains a low profile facing Dangozaka hill. The exterior walls were built by applying bricks and then scraping them. This design aimed to express the historical streetscapes of Germany, where the young Ogai studied. To protect the historical materials, the exhibition rooms and storage are located underground.

Walking Tips

It is a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Sendagi Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. Walk straight up Dangozaka hill, cross the intersection at the top of Dangozaka, and you will find it just ahead. Dangozaka once flourished as a renowned spot for chrysanthemums arranged in figures (kiku ningyo), and Ogai depicted its liveliness in Seinen. Another entrance to the museum is located on Yabushita-dori street. Here remain the foundation stones of the former gateposts and the paving stones that once stood in front of Kancho-ro. Yabushita-dori was Ogai's walking path, frequented by many literary figures such as Natsume Soseki, Higuchi Ichiyo, and Ishikawa Takuboku. Nezu-jinja Shrine is located about 550 meters to the south.