Lafcadio Hearn Former Residence — Attraction in Matsue

I read about Lafcadio Hearn and his stay in Matsue (although at only 18 months, it was a much shorter stay than I had thought) decades ago after arriving in Japan, and was really glad to finally visit Matsue and find out more about his values, what kind of a person he was, and why he became so popular/famous in Japan. His former residence has a beautiful classic Japanese design and you can understand why Hearn felt so comfortable there - although I'm sure it was freezing in there during the cold winters! If you are interested in learning more about him, this well-maintained house and the museum next door are well worth visiting. We also strolled around the neighbourhood to visit some of the places he used...

As a fan of Hearn, it’s a really wonderful place to just wander around and explore. Really get the sense of being in a place someone once loved, lived in, and just… existed in. It’s got a lot of character to it and some nice gardens. There’s less documentation inside, compared to his Kumamoto home, but I imagine that’s due to the museum being next door.

As a note, there’s a monument that includes some of his hair nearby, but I missed it when I went, so keep an eye out for it in...

Beautiful little house (though 'little' because not all of it has been opened to the public) surrounded by lush, pretty gardens. Hearn wrote about his stay here in The Atlantic, June 1882 and little has changed. There is a sublime sense of peace, scholarship and happiness. A short but profound experience that benefits from the absence...