Himeji City Museum of Literature

Himeji Bungakukan (Himeji Literature Museum) is a literature museum in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, opened to commemorate the city’s 100th anniversary, with the aim of serving as a hub for collecting, researching, and studying materials related to writers and scholars connected to Harima, as well as for supporting literary activities in general. The building, designed by the renowned architect Tadao Ando, is known both in Japan and abroad as an outstanding example of modern architecture. Access is by taking Shinki Bus from JR Sanyo Main Line Himeji Station to the “Ichinohashi Bungakukan-mae” bus stop, then walking about 4 minutes. The museum consists of the North Building (paid area) with features such as the “Harima Fudoki Map,” “Himeji Castle History Story Corridor,” “Kotoba no Mori Exhibition Room,” and a rooftop terrace; the South Building (free area) with the “Ryotaro Shiba Memorial Room,” library, and materials reading room; and the “Bokeitei,” a former villa of the businessman Hachijiro Hamamoto that is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan (available for rental use). The museum also draws many visitors for its creative special and featured exhibitions, ranging from writers and poets such as Yasunari Kawabata, Teru Miyamoto, and Misuzu Kaneko, to historical figures and pop-culture themes such as Kanbei Kuroda, Shotaro Ishinomori, and the anime “Nintama Rantaro.”