Kamakura Museum of Literature — Attraction in Kamakura

三島由紀夫の『春の雪』に登場する侯爵家の別荘のモデルとしても知られている洋館。かつては公人の別荘として使用されたが、その後鎌倉市に寄贈され、外観をそのままに内部の補修が行われ、現在の資料館となった。 鎌倉は、東京へのアクセスも良いと同時に東京都内より程よく距離が離れている、豊かな自然に囲まれた静かな環境であるため、日本を代表する文豪たちに好まれた地域である。創作の拠点として数多くの文豪の邸宅や別荘が存在し、滞在時に遺された彼らの創作の原稿や互いにやり取りした手紙等がこの資料館に一堂に会され、展示されている。明治以降に活躍した彼らの足跡を辿るにはもってこいの資料館である。 資料館内の全ての部屋が展示用に使用されておらず、全ての展示を観て回るだけであれば1時間とかからない。展示室の多くが常設展示である（限定的な特別展示が開催されている場合があるが、展示に使用されている部屋も1～2つ分であり、小ぢんまりとしている）。入口で靴を脱ぐ必要があること、各フロアの昇降は階段のみであることから、車椅子等の障碍を持つ方にとっては利用しづらいと感じるかもしれない（館内用の車椅子が常設されている）。 資料館には小規模な庭園があり、芝生エリアと花壇エリアに分かれている。特に花壇エリアにはバラが植えられており、春と秋には美しいバラで彩られる。庭園は傾斜があるため、歩行の際には注意が必要である。

This Western-style house is also known as the model for the villa of the Marquis family that appears in Yukio Mishima's "Spring Snow". Once used as a villa for public officials, it was later donated to the city of Kamakura, and the interior was repaired while maintaining the exterior appearance, becoming the current museum. Kamakura was favored by some of Japan's greatest writers because of its easy access to Tokyo, while at the same time being at a moderate distance from Tokyo, and its quiet environment surrounded by abundant nature. Many of the great writers had residented as their bases for their creative activities, so the museum exhibits manuscripts of their works and letters they exchanged with each other during their stays in the area. The museum is an ideal place to trace the footsteps of these writers who were active in the Meiji era and beyond. Not all of the rooms in the museum are used for exhibits, and it takes less than an hour just to tour all of the exhibits. Most of the exhibition rooms are permanent exhibits (limited special exhibits may be held, but they are small, with only one or two rooms used for exhibits). Shoes must be removed at the entrance, and each floor is accessed only by stairs. Therefore, visitors with disabilities such as wheelchairs may find it difficult to use the museum (wheelchairs are permanently available for use inside the museum). The museum has a small garden, divided into a lawn area and a flowerbed area. The flowerbed area in particular is planted with roses and is decorated with beautiful roses in spring and fall. The garden is sloped, so care should be taken when...

A visit to this museum is well worth your while if you’re interested in the beauty of the estate itself or if you have even a casual interest in Japan’s great literature, especially that of the late Meiji period, moving forward through the end of the Showa period. Many of Japan’s greatest writers have housed both here and in the surrounding area, even as two former prime ministers have made this their summer home.

A lovely way to spend a...

It was beautiful! Very good price, only ¥500 for adults. The rose garden is gorgeous and there's a gorgeous view of the ocean from inside the museum. Only complaint as an English speaker is that none of the inside museum exhibits had English translations, and you can't use your camera (so I didn't use Google translate). Super...