Visiting the Former Residence of Yoshiya Nobuko: A Sukiya-Style Building in Kamakura

Yoshiya Nobuko

Yoshiya Nobuko dedicated her entire life to literature, from her days as a "literary girl" until just before her death at age 77.





While Nobuko was attending a girls' school, Nitobe Inazo came to give a lecture. He advocated for "the fulfillment of women as individuals, rather than merely as good wives and wise mothers." Nobuko was deeply moved by this. Looking back at Nobuko's work, it's clear that she never forgot the profound impression that Nitobe made on her.

Like Nobuko, Takahama Kyoshi was one of the "Kamakura writers," and Nobuko studied haiku with him. One of Kyoshi's haiku is as follows:

「去年今年貫く棒の如きもの」





The meaning of this haiku is that it is like a rod piercing through from last year to this year.

It may be a poem about the passing year and the coming year, but I feel as though I am seeing the very “rod-like thing” that Nobuko herself possesses.

Nobuko's haiku includes the famous verse below:

「秋灯机の上の幾山河」





The meaning of this haiku is as follows: Beneath the autumn lamp, how many mountains and rivers spread out upon the desk?

This must be a poem expressing her honest feelings on a certain autumn night, at a certain hour.

Yoshiya Nobuko: 1896 (Meiji 29) – 1973 (Showa 48). Novelist

The Former Residence of Yoshiya Nobuko（Yoshiya Nobuko Memorial House）

In accordance with Nobuko's final wish, the Yoshiya Nobuko Residence was donated to Kamakura City: "I want to give back to society what I have gained, and I want my residence to be preserved as a memorial hall." True to her wishes, the residence has been reborn as the Yoshiya Nobuko Memorial House.

Yoshida Isoya, a leading figure in modern sukiya-style architecture, designed this residence at the request of Nobuko, who wanted it to resemble "a nunnery in Nara."





Yoshida Isoya designed many buildings. Near Kamakura, he designed the Hayama residence of painter Yamaguchi Hoshun. The residence is now open to the public as the Yamaguchi Hoshun Memorial Museum.

The Yoshiya Nobuko Residence is registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property. This designation includes the main house, as well as its gate and walls. Given this, it makes perfect sense—both the gate and the walls possess a unique charm found nowhere else.

I've heard that Nobuko was short and that the residence was built to suit her stature. Of all the rooms, I particularly enjoy the study facing the north garden. A tasteful desk and chair stand there, and I recall her famous verse: "秋灯机の上の幾山河."

The Yoshiya Nobuko Memorial House is not always open to the public. It is usually open in the spring and fall.





I often go there to recharge my energy when it's open.

A Guide to Easy-to-Read Books on Kamakura

The books below, produced by Lab Deep in Kamakura, provides an accessible introduction to Kamakura from a variety of perspectives.

Lab Deep in Kamakura　Juei Masuda