Miyazawa Kenji Memorial, Tohoku, Japan

4Keizo 5:00 PM Oct 22, 2020

Better to use Donguri to Yamaneko Bus service
I recommend to book Donguri to Yamaneko bus service to take you many spots in the area in classic style little bus costing about USD52 for whole day tour(half day also available) In the morning Miyazawakenji Memorial, Takamura Kotaro memorial and Dowamura, In the afternoon Ihatopu, Nitobe Inazo memorial, Ohasama winery and Hayamine & Kenji exhibits. they say there are five drivers working but I was lucky to see Mr. Furukawa who was a grand champion reading Kenji poem and also a good singer.

3Vanessa Y 5:00 PM May 20, 2018

Interesting on a rainy day ...
The museum is dedicated wholly to the life of Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933) the author of "Night on the Galactic Railroad". He was a poet, wrote children's books, painted (a bit), taught agricultural science, played the cello, was into geology, astronomy, as well as being a social activist and a devote Buddhist - all of this is highlighted throughout the museum.He lived a very full life, as is documented in the museum for his 37 years. There are many enlarged panels, photographs, documents, many copies (?) of his original works and a few of his paintings displayed around the floor. There are some exhibits related to outer space, as well and big screens tripping around space (???). Having lived most of his life locally in Hanamaki City, during the Taisho and Showa eras ( and only briefly in Tokyo), it's interesting to get a glimpse of that time. (A few more displays about those eras and lifestyle would also prove interesting ...) It would be great if there was a little more English signage, instead of using a QR code to bring up info on a tiny smartphone screen. The museum is quite big, but easy to walk around. There aren't any steps, from what I can remember. There's a section near the front that shows a video of his life and at the back of the museum they show one of his kids stories turned into and anime (cartoon) ... both very interesting but, are only in Japanese. The museum is located on top of a small mountain, with ample carpark space (free). There also seems to be a VERY long wooden staircase from the bottom to the top (which we didn't take) - near a bus stop. The area is surrounded by trees. You can buy many of his books there, but they're only Japanese versions. The entrance fee is 350 yen ... and there is also a cafe overlooking the area there. Great for a rainy day ...